HANDBOOKS OF PRACTICAL GARDENING 
^ EDITED BY HARRY ROBERTS 



THE BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



THE 

BEGINNER'S BOOK 
OF GARDENING 



BY 

HARRY ROBERTS 



LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD 
NEW YORK : JOHN LANE COMPANY. MCMXI 




em 

publisher 



Turnbull &' Spears, Printers, Edinburgh 




INTRODUCTORY NOTE 

This book aims at providing a sufficiency of accurate 
information to enable the gardening beginner to 
grow ordinary flowers, fruits and vegetables with 
understanding and success. 



V 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 



Introductory Note . . . . . v 

What Plants are made of . . . . . i 

The Nature of Soil ... . . 4 

The Sowing of Seeds ... . . 7 

Some other Methods of Plant Propagation — 

Bulbs and Corms . . . , .10 

Tubers . . . . . ,11 

Offsets and Crowns . . . .12 

Layers . , . . .12 

Cuttings ..... . 14 

Potting . . . • . . ,16 

Trenching . . . . . .18 

To make a Hot-bed ...... 20 

Hardy Perennials ...... 22 

Annuals ........ 30 

Roses ........ 35 

Small Town Gardens ...... 42 

To make a Lawn ..... .45 

Rock or Alpine Gardens . . . . .47 

Beautiful Winter Plants . . . .51 

The Planting of Fruit Trees , . . . 55 

The Pruning of Fruit Trees . . . . •57 

Strawberries . . .... 62 

Filberts and Cob-Nuts . ... .63 



vii 



viii BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



PAGE 

The Cultivation of Vegetables — 



Peas . . . , . , , . 64 

Broad Beans ...... 65 

French Beans ...... 66 

Runner Beans . . . , . .66 

Potatoes ....... 67 

Turnips ....... 67 

Parsnips ....... 69 

Carrots ....... 69 

Beetroot ....... 70 

Jerusalem Artichokes . .... 70 

Chinese Artichokes ...... 70 

Onions ....... 71 

Salsify . . . , . . . 72 

Shallots ....... 72 

Garlic ....... 72 

Asparagus . , , . . . .72 

Globe Artichokes , . . . . '73 

Celery ....... 74 

Celeriac ....... 74 

Leeks 75 
Rhubarb ....... 75 

Cardoons ....... 76 

Cucumbers ....... 77 

Vegetable Marrows . . . . .77 

Green Crops ...... 77 

Cabbages ....... 78 

Broccoli and Cauliflowers. . . '79 

Borecoles, or Kales . .... So 

Savoys ...... 80 



CONTENTS ix 

PAGE 

Brussels Sprouts . , . . . .81 

Spinach . . . . . . .81 

Sorrel . . . . . . 82 

Horseradish . . . . . . .82 

Radishes ....... 83 

Lettuces ....... 83 

Parsley ...... 83 

Mint . . . . . • ^3 

Sage ........ 84 

Thyme . . . . . . ,84 

A Few Useful Recipes — 

Weeds on Paths .... .85 

To prevent Rust . . . . . .85 

To GET RID OF AnTS . . . . .85 

To DESTROY Green-fly . . . . .86 

Snails and Slugs . • . . .86 

Worms on Lawns ...... 86 

Index ........ 87 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Larkspurs in Mixed Border .... Frontispiece 

FACING PAGE 

Shirley Poppies ....... 4 

Hepatica Angulosa Alba . . . , ,10 

Tomato '^Barr's Northern King" . , . .16 

Ten-Week Stock . . . . • . 20 

Saxifraga Wallacei . . .... 24 

Rock Garden in Early Summer . . . .30 

Steps in a Rock Garden . .... 34 

Imperial Pjeonies ...... 40 

MixTD Border in August . . . . ,46 

Cera-^tium Tomentosum ...... 50 

Sea Kale . . . . . • 5^ 

London Prjde * . . . . . . 62 

Runner Bean Delicatesse " . . . . .68 

Nigella ^'Miss Jekyll" . . ... 74 

Gypsophila Elegans ...... 80 



xi 



THE BEGINNER'S BOOK OF 
GARDENING 



WHAT PLANTS ARE MADE OF 

Plants differ much in their constitution, but in nearly 
all cases the principal ingredient of a living plant is 
water. The turnip contains more than ninety per cent, 
of water, and even timber felled in the driest time usually 
contains nearly half its weight of water. In addition to 
water most plants contain carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, 
nitrogen, sulphur, potassium, phosphorus, and other 
elements. The greater part of the carbon which forms 
so important a part of every plant is obtained from the 
atmosphere by means of the leaves. The other elements 
and the water are derived from the soil by the agency 
of the roots. 

Most garden plants are grown from seed, and it may 
be wondered in what manner the young plant is able to 
grow before its leaves and roots have appeared. The 
solution is that the material other than air and water 
required for the purpose of germination is contained in 
the seed itself. The store of nutriment thus supplied is 
enough to carry the young plant to the stage when its 
leaves and rootlets are sufficiently developed for it to 
obtain food for itself. 

Seeds are storehouses of concentrated food, which 
explains their great value as foods for men and animals. 
Wheat, peas, beans, and rice are common examples. 

All plants which live beyond a single season store up 



2 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



in themselves a certain reserve of nutriment wherewith 
to start growth in the succeeding year, before the season 
has sufficiently advanced for them to gather fresh supplies 
of food. This is especially noticeable in the case of those 
plants which flower early in the year. The fleshy 
creeping stems of primroses, the bulbs of crocuses, tulips, 
and daffodils, the corms of winter aconites and anemones, 
all offer evidence of this thriftiness of plants. 

For plants to absorb food a certain degree of heat is 
essential. No plant can feed when its temperature is as 
low as the freezing point, and most plants require a very 
much higher temperature ; nor is any active process 
possible in the absence of a certain degree of water. 

The leaves of a plant are of the utmost importance to 
its health and life. The under surface and sometimes 
also the upper surface of each leaf is furnished with 
little mouths or stomata, to the number of loo to 
100,000 per square inch, and through these stomata 
carbonic acid gas is absorbed from the atmosphere, in 
the plant the gas being broken up by the activity of the 
green colouring matter or chlorophyll into its constituent 
elements, carbon and oxygen. The oxygen is given off* 
and the carbon is retained to join with other elements 
derived from the roots to form the compounds of 
which the plant is built. This action of the leaves is 
only possible when they are exposed to sunlight. 

The other great function of the leaves is to transpire 
from their surface watery vapour which originally has 
been absorbed in the liquid form by the root. 

The importance of these processes will be obvious to 
everyone. As has been said, all the labour of plants, by 
which from air, water, and a pinch of divers salts scattered 
in the soil it builds up leaf, stem and roots, and puts 
together material for seed or bud or bulb, is wrought and 
wrought only by the green cells which give greenness to 
leaf and branch and stem. We may say of the plant that 



WHAT PLANTS ARE MADE OF 3 



the green cells of the green leaves are the blood thereof. 
As the food which an animal takes remains a mere burden 
until it is transmuted into blood, so the material which 
the roots give to the plant is mere dead food till the 
cunning toil of a chlorophyll-holding cell has passed into 
it the quickening sunbeam. Take away from a plant 
even so much as one green leaf and you rob it of so much 
of its life-blood. 



THE NATURE OF SOIL 



First, let us think of what the soil is made, and of 
how it came into being. Look at the surface of any old 
stone-built church or house and you will see how every 
stone is partly covered by moss or lichen or other lowly 
plant. These plants are growing in soil, formed by the 
slow action of rain and air on the surface of the walls. 
Similarly, in the gradual pulverisation and decomposi- 
tion of rocks has all soil taken its origin. Similarly also, 
as a rule, have lowly plants been its first offspring, the 
bodies of which have been afterwards incorporated with 
their mother soil. By the further action of the weather, 
coupled with the action of the accompaniments of the 
decomposition of these early plants, the soil becomes 
deeper, and becomes also furnished with dead vegetable 
matter, or humus, without which none of the higher 
and more developed plants are able to live. 

According to the nature of the original rock, and 
according also to the sort of natural weathering " or 

watering" to which it has been subjected, so will the 
resultant soil be mainly sand or mainly clay, or an equal 
mixture of the two. Mixed with these will usually be 
found a certain amount of little stones or gravel, and a 
certain amount of dark-coloured humus. In a soil 
which is nearly all sand, or in one which is nearly all 
clay, few flowers will thrive, but in what is called a 
loamy soil — that is, one in which clay and sand are 
nearly equal — nearly all plants will grow and prosper 
if other conditions be favourable. The presence of 
humus in the soil is important in many ways, for not 

4 




Copyright 



SHIRLEY POPPIES 



Kelway &- Sons 



THE NATURE OF SOIL 5 



only does it contain much that is essential food for 
plant growth, but also it assists the earth in retaining 
that moisture without which life is impossible. By its 
chemical activity, also, it produces useful heat, and 
liberates stores of food from the mineral soil itself. 
Therefore it is that we add dead leaves, farmyard 
manure, seaweed and the like to our garden soil. But, 
though moisture is essential to the health of plants, the 
presence of stagnant water is little less fatal than 
drought. If we find that a hole dug in our gardens 
to the depth of two feet soon contains water not 
obtained from above, we may usually assume that 
drainage is required. 

If our soil be too light (Le, sandy) we may improve 
it by the addition of dried and powdered clay, marl, 
and organic manure from cowshed or stable : if it be 
too heavy (^t,e. containing an excess of clay) we may 
make it more suitable for our garden use by mixing 
with it sand, ashes, lime, gritty road-scrapings, or old 
mortar. 

We all know how very much hotter in summer and 
colder in winter is a starched linen shirt than is one 
made of flannel or of some cellular open-woven fabric. 
This is, of course, due to the fact that the former is the 
better conductor of heat. In like manner, a loose, 
cellular, open-woven," porous soil is a much worse 
conductor of heat than the caked and baked soil which 
we often see in ill-kept gardens. 

The roots of plants like coolness in summer, but in 
winter they desire all the warmth they can obtain. 
Hence the desirability of always maintaining the surface 
of the ground to the depth of an inch or two in a loose, 
open condition by means of the hoe. This is of value 
also in checking evaporation, for, by keeping the surface 
inch of soil loose and fine, the capillary connection be- 
tween the air and the deeper layers of soil is broken. 



6 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



Surface mulchings of litter, moss, leaves, or manure act 
in the same way as does the simpler mulch of hoed soil. 
Of course the process of top-dressing with leaves or 
farm-manure, in order to add to the soil the food 
elements which they contain, is quite a different matter, 
and cannot be replaced. 

Very few gardeners can be said to make anything 
approaching adequate use of the soil which they 
cultivate. The majority of amateur gardeners, and 
not a few professional ones, never get their spade more 
than a foot or, at the outside, more than eighteen 
incKes below the surface. As a matter of fact, all 
garden soil should be dug to a minimum depth of two 
feet, or, preferably, to a depth of three feet when 
possible. 



THE SOWING OF SEEDS 



Success in raising plants from seed depends on a 
combination of several circumstances. The chief of 
these are the quality of the seed, the provision of the 
right degree of moisture, the presence of air, and a 
temperature suitable to the germination of that par- 
ticular plant. As no conditions can compensate for the 
absence of vitality in the seeds, it is clearly of the first 
importance to obtain seeds from a reliable seedsman who 
has a reputation to lose. For, at any rate as far as the 
amateur's requirements are concerned, the difference in 
cost between the very best seeds and those of an in- 
different quality is comparatively trivial, when one 
reflects on the expense and trouble wasted through the 
use of the latter. 

When sowing seeds in the open air, dry and v/ell- 
drained soil should be selected. It should contain a 
liberal proportion of gravel or sand, and a small quantity 
of thoroughly decomposed leaf-mould. There should, 
as a rule, be no manure used in soil intended for seed- 
sowing. It is a good plan to pass the top two inches of 
soil through a sieve, especially in the case of fine seeds. 
In any event the soil should be thoroughly dug and 
pulverized to a depth of at least one foot, and the 
surface raked fine. If this is not done it is practically 
impossible to provide an even covering for the seeds. 
Some will be at a depth four or five times that at which 
others are planted. The depth at which seed should be 
sown varies with the size of the seed. The smallest 
seeds should be sown on the surface, the soil having 

7 



8 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



been previously firmed by means of the back of a spade. 
A very little fine soil should then be sifted over them 
through a sieve. This amount of soil should be only 
sufficient just to cover the seeds. The soil should be 
well watered before the seeds are sown, and evaporation 
should be checked by placing over the seed-bed a lath 
or brush screen. A lath-screen consists of a square 
frame composed of ordinary laths nailed to one another 
at right angles, so as to form a kind of chess-board, the 
interstices between the laths being equal in width to 
the laths themselves. This screen is laid horizontally 
upon a light framework three or four inches above the 
seed-bed. It has the great merit of providing shade 
and preventing evaporation, while yet allowing free 
ventilation. A bush- or brush-screen consists of a frame 
which is covered with twiggy boughs ; this also is placed 
a few inches above the seeds. In the case of larger 
seeds it is a good general rule to cover them with about 
twice their own thickness of soil. Large seeds are 
naturally better able to look after themselves than tiny 
seeds, which contain so small a store of nourishment for 
the infant plant. At the same time too much care 
cannot be exercised in providing a fine and well-drained 
seed-bed, and some protection from excessive evapora- 
tion, in the case of large as well as small seeds. Only 
experience will enable the gardener accurately to gauge 
the correct amount of moisture necessary for individual 
seeds and seedlings, for drought and excessive moisture 
are the two principal dangers with which seedlings have 
to contend. 

In connection with the subjects of moisture and venti- 
lation, must be mentioned that terrible scourge known as 

damping off." This is one of the most common ail- 
ments of young seedlings. Close to the surface of the 
soil the stem of the young plant becomes brown and 
constricted and soon rots, entailing the death of the 



THE SOWING OF SEEDS 



plant, although the top continues to look green and 
fresh for several days afterwards. Excessive moisture 
of the surface of the soil, overcrowding, and insufficient 
ventilation seem to be the conditions which favour the 
growth of the fungi to which damping off" is due. 
Once a plant is attacked treatment is practically hope- 
less. The only thing to do is to provide more air, and 
to prick out the healthy plants into fresh soil, under 
more airy and healthy conditions. 

The seeds of all but hardy plants require, in this 
climate, a certain amount of artificial heat for their 
germination. Bottom heat is the form in which this is 
best supphed, and either a hot bed or moderately cool 
pipes in a greenhouse answer this purpose admirably. 
The correct temperature varies with the kind of seed, 
but as a general rule it may be said that no greater 
heat should be employed than is really required. For 
indoor sowing, pots or small boxes are usually employed. 
Shallow boxes or earthen seed-pans are generally to be 
preferred to deep pots. Thorough drainage should be 
provided by means of a layer of broken potsherds placed 
along the bottom of the box. Over this it is a good 
plan to place a thin layer of peat, and on this should be 
placed the sifted soil which is to form the seed-bed 
proper. Good garden loam, to which a httle old leaf- 
mould and a good quantity of sand has been added, 
constitutes a good soil for indoor seed beds. A useful 
test for the texture of the soil for seed-sowing is to 
press a damp portion of it in the hand and then relax 
the pressure. If unsuitable the soil will remain in a 
solid cake ; if suitable it will crumble and fall apart. 

There is one supreme rule in seed-sowing, applicable 
to large and small seeds alike — it is the rule perhaps 
most commonly neglected. This rule is to sow thinly 
so as to allow ample room for the development of each 
individual seedling. 



SOME OTHER METHODS OF PLANT 
PROPAGATION 

Bulbs and Corms 

Many plants are increased by means of bulbs, which 
are a kind of underground bud, the thickened scales or 
leaves of which are storehouses of nutriment which are 
used by the young plant before it has produced proper 
leaves wherewith to accumulate nourishment for itself. 
Bulbous plants have usually long periods of inactivity, 
and in a state of nature mostly occur in dry regions or 
in heavily- wooded districts where active growth is 
impossible during a great part of the year. Such plants 
commonly multiply by means of small bulbs or bulbels 
borne at the top or round the sides of the mother bulb. 
Lilies, hyacinths, and onions are among the commoner 
examples of bulbous plants. 

Corms differ from bulbs in being solid throughout, and 
are not divisible into scales or layers as are bulbs. From 
a gardening point of view, however, they are very 
similar. The crocus and gladiolus are common examples 
of corms. Bulbs are for the most part not difficult to 
manage. Most kinds should be planted in September 
or October — the earlier the better. Earlier flowering 
kinds, such as snowdrops and chionadoxas, are best 
planted about the end of August. Gladioli, however, 
should be planted in March or April. The depth at 
which bulbs should be planted naturally varies with the 
nature of the bulb and the character of the soil. Small 
bulbs and corms, such as those of the crocus, squill, 

lO 



METHODS OF PLANT PROPAGATION 1 1 



snowdrop, and chionadoxa, should be planted from two 
to three inches deep, according as the soil is heavy or 
light. Hyacinths and tulips should be planted about 
four inches deep, narcissi four to five inches deep, and 
lilies five to six inches. The distance between the bulbs 
also varies according to the species. Crocuses and snow- 
drops should be allowed two inches from plant to plant, 
tulips and narcissi should have about six inches, and 
lilies at least a foot. It is a good plan in planting bulbs 
to place a small quantity of silver sand at the bottom of 
the hole, and put the bulb on this. Before planting, 
the soil should be thoroughly dug to a depth of at 
least two feet, but no fresh manure should be added. 
Soil which has been well manured for a previous crop is 
generally suitable. The presence of a certain amount of 
leaf-mould in the soil is very beneficial in the case of 
most bulbous plants. A full account of the treatment 
required by practically every kind of bulbous plant is 
fully described in the Book of Bulbs" in the present 
series of handbooks. 



Tubers 

Tubers are thickened portions of a root or stem 
capable of being separated from the parent plant, and 
if placed under suitable conditions, of producing new 
plants. Potatoes, dahlias, anemones, and winter aconites 
are common examples. Tubers of flowering plants 
should be treated much as bulbs. As a general rule 
they should be planted about two inches deep, and from 
four to six inches apart. Dahlias, however, which 
should be planted in March or April, should be placed 
at a much greater depth, and should be allowed a space 
of two or three feet in which to develop. 



12 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



Offsets and Crowns 

An offset is a crown of leaves, generally borne near 
the surface of the ground, which after a while becomes 
detached from the parent plant and begins to lead a 
separate existence. The commonest example of the 
method of division is afforded by the house-leeks or 
sempervivums. 

Nearly all perennial plants may be increased by simply 
dividing their root-stock into as many parts as there are 
eyes or crowns. At the end of every season the root- 
stock of most perennial plants and bushes develops on 
each branch a terminal bud. This bud or crown can 
usually be separated with more or less root attached, 
and may then be treated as an independent plant. In 
some cases, as in that of the lily-of-the-valley, these 
crowns may be separated in the autumn and treated 
almost exactly as bulbs. 

Layers 

Many kinds of plants may conveniently be increased 
by a method known as layering. Shoots or runners 
from the parent plant fall over and lie on the surface of 
the ground, and then become either naturally or artificially 
covered at a certain point by leaves or earth, and emit 
roots where the joint touches the ground. Eventually 
this branch separates or may be separated from the 
parent plant, and forms a new individual. The practice 
of layering affords one of the simplest methods of 
propagation in the case of suitable plants, for the young 
layer plants are nursed by the parent until their roots 
have become established and they can fend for them- 
selves. Among our native plants which naturally in- 
crease themselves in this way the blackberry and 
strawberry are perhaps the commonest examples. In 
the garden, plants which it is proposed to increase by 



METHODS OF PLANT PROPAGATION 13 



this method are treated as follows : — The branch or 
branches intended to form the layer are bent down, and 
crotched sticks are employed to peg them down to the 
ground. Two or three inches of fine mellow soil 
should be used to cover a strong bud near the middle 
of the shoot. In the case of stiff, hard-wooded plants it 
is a common and good practice to make a cut half-way 
through the branch on the lower side, obliquely, at the 
point where it is wished that roots shall form. Spring 
is the season when layering should be practised, and 
roots are more readily formed at that time. Shrubs, 
however, may be equally well layered in the autumn, 
and carnations, to which this method of propagation 
is especially applicable, are best layered in July and 
August, and the layers separated in October. What is 
known as mound layering " is valuable in the case of 
various woody plants, of which large numbers of offsets 
are required. If a gooseberry bush, for instance, be cut 
back in the spring almost to the ground, and earth be 
then heaped over the stool and round the young shoots, 
numerous roots issue from the base of each of the 
shoots, and in the course of a year or so the stool may 
be broken up into a large number of strong young plants. 

Pot layering or Chinese layering is a process whereby 
roots are made to proceed from rigid stems by surround- 
ing them, while in their natural position, with earth or 
moss. The common practice is to make a small incision 
in the stem at the point where the root is required, and 
to place a pot or box which has been cut in two around 
it, filled with earth. The pot itself should be wrapped 
in moss to limit evaporation. This method is very use- 
ful in the case of leggy old indiarubber plants. The pot 
is attached high up on the bare stem, and after roots have 
become freely formed the stem is separated just below the 
pot and the top part replanted in suitable soil. The old 
base may then be discarded. 



14 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



Cuttings 

A very large number of plants both woody and her- 
baceous may be propagated by the method known as 
cuttage. These cuttings may be made from various 
parts of the plant, in some cases from the tubers, in others 
from the roots, in the majority of cases from stems, and 
occasionally from leaves. A plant derived from the 
process of cutting exactly reproduces the characteristics of 
the parent plant. It is thus of the greatest value in multi- 
plying varieties which do not come true from seed. An 
essential condition of all cuttings is that one or more 
buds or shoots shall remain upon the portion detached. 
Only experience will enable one to judge the proper 
texture and age of a shoot which is likely to succeed as 
a cutting. If the wood be too old it does not root readily, 
and even when it does root makes a poor plant. Soft, 
flabby cuttings, on the other hand, are specially liable to 
damp off. A good general test of the suitability of a stem 
for cuttage is to bend it across. If it snaps off cleanly 
it is suitable for cuttage, if it bends or crushes it is un- 
suitable. It is a good usual practice to separate the 
cutting just below a bud, or to break it off at a heel, 
that is, the point at which it issues from the main stem. 
In the case of hard-wooded trees and shrubs, such as 
roses and lilacs, cuttings are best taken from the nearly 
mature green wood. These are usually taken in summer, 
and are planted about one and a half inches deep in sandy 
soil containing leaf-mould and placed in a shaded frame. 
The soil must be kept moist. In the case of soft plants 
the soil should be quite three-fourths sharp sand, and the 
plants should be covered by shaded bell-glasses or other 
appliances so that they may be kept surrounded by a moist 
atmosphere until the roots have begun to form. Moderate 
bottom heat is a great help in the rooting of all kinds of cut- 
tings. Many plants with fleshy leaves, such as the showy 



METHODS OF PLANT PROPAGATION 1 5 



leaved begonias, are easily propagated by means of leat 
cuttings. The method is simplicity itself. A fully-grown 
leaf is removed from the plant, laid upon moist sand in a 
warm frame, the principal ribs pierced by fine pegs, and 
held thereby in contact with the soil. Roots will form at 
each of the points of contact, and a corresponding number 
of new plants thus produced. Gloxinia leaves may be 
treated in the same way, or the stalk end may be thrust 
into the soil, after the manner of a stem cutting. 

Other plants, again, may be multiplied by root cuttings. 
The roots are simply cut into lengths of one or two inches 
and planted. Horse radish is perhaps the commonest 
example of plants multiplied in this way. 

Tubers, again, which contain more than one eye or 
shoot, may be divided into as many portions as there are 
eyes. This applies to the potato and dahha among other 
plants. 



POTTING 



Many plants spend their entire lives grown in pots ; 
others are kept in pots until they reach such an age that 
they are able to withstand the rigours of the open air. 
Pots are made of many sizes, from so-called " thimbles," 
which have a diameter at their tops of two inches, to 
those known as twos," the diameter of which is eighteen 
inches. These various sizes meet the differing require- 
ments of plants and bulbs from the miniature cacti and 
small seedlings to fruit trees and camellias. Perhaps the 
most generally useful size is that known as **48's," 
the diameter of which is four and a half inches. Porous 
pots only should be used for ordinary purposes, as in 
glazed pots the soil soon becomes sour, and efficient 
drainage and ventilation is impossible. New pots should 
be soaked in water for three or four hours before being 
used, otherwise they will absorb all the moisture from 
the soil at the expense of the young plant. Pots that 
have been previously used should be soaked in hot water 
and thoroughly scrubbed with a brush inside and out 
before being again employed. This is necessary, not 
only for the purpose of opening the pores of the pot, but 
also for the purpose of getting rid of fungoid growths 
and spores whose presence would certainly give rise to 
trouble. 

In preparing the pots for the reception of plants the 
first thing to do is to place at the bottom a piece of pot- 
sherd over the central hole, with its convex side upwards. 
In the case of other than the smallest pots a few additional 
potsherds should also be placed at the bottom of the pot 



Copyright Ba rr & Sons 

TOMATO " BARR's XORTHERN KIXG" 



POTTING 



17 



This is for the purpose of affording adequate drainage. 
On the top of the crocks it is a good plan to place a thin 
layer of moss, which prevents the soil from being washed 
away or from blocking up the drainage. On the moss is 
placed the soil, in which the plant is to be rooted. The 
finest soil should be kept for the top inch. The soil or 
compost must of course vary with individual requirements. 
For ordinary plants a mixture of three parts of light 
garden soil or fibrous loam, one part silver sand, and 
one part leaf-mould forms a good compost. The whole 
mixture should be passed through a sieve. Potting should 
generally be effected by placing the plant in the pot with 
its stem upright in the centre, so that it just rests on soil 
and stands at the desired height. Add the compost a 
little at a time, and ram it well down by means of a 
piece of wood, leaving a depth of at least half an inch 
between the top of the soil and the top of the pot. The 
top half-inch of soil should be left loose and not rammed 
down. Most plants require to be watered immediately 
after being potted, and plants requiring to be moved from 
one pot to another should be thoroughly watered half an 
hour before being removed from the pot. In potting, as 
in every other kind of planting, it is not sufficient merely 
to push the root into a hole. The more the roots are 
spread and arranged the more likely is success to follow. 



B 



TRENCHING 



The trenching of a piece of ground intended for the 
cultivation of fruit, vegetables, or flowers often doubles 
its value. All garden soil should be trenched at least 
once every three or four years. Where there is a fair 
depth of soil the process is carried out as follows : — The 
plot of ground intended to be dealt with is mapped out, 
and at one end of it the soil one spade deep and two 
spits wide is removed and wheeled to the opposite end 
of the patch. Next the subjacent soil to a depth of a 
further spit, and one spit only in width, is removed and 
also wheeled to the far end of the patch, where it is 
kept in a separate heap. We now have an end trench 
one spit wide and two spits deep, and a penultimate or 
end-but-one trench one spit wide and one spit deep. 
Standing in the trench, the bottom of the end trench is 
to be broken up by means of a spade, fork, or mattock 
to a further spade-depth, and left in situ. On this 
should be placed a layer of manure. Next a spade 
depth of soil from the penultimate trench should be 
thrown on the manure in the end trench. On this 
another layer of manure should be placed, and on this 
should be laid a spade depth of top soil from what wil] 
form the third trench. The end trench is now complete, 
the second trench is two spits deep, and the third trench 
one spit deep. The bottom of the second trench is to 
be broken up, as in the case of the end trench, followed 
by a layer of manure, a spade deep of middle spit from 
the third trench, another layer of manure, and a spade 
deep of top spit from the fourth trench. This process 

i8 



TRENCHING 



19 



is to be continued until the opposite end of the plot is 
reached, when the middle and top spit, which have been 
wheeled to that end, are used for filling in the last two 
trenches. It will be noticed that the top spit remains 
the top spit throughout, the middle spit remains the 
middle spit, and the bottom soil and subsoil, although 
broken up, are never removed from their position. In 
the case of shallow soils what is known as bastard 
trenching is sometimes preferred to the process just 
described. The principle is the same, but the soil is 
disturbed to a depth of two spades instead of three. 
The soil to a depth of one spade and a width of two 
feet is w^heeled from one end of the patch and deposited 
in a heap at the other end. The subjacent soil is then 
broken up to a depth of one spade, manure added, and 
the top soil from the next two feet thrown on top of it. 
This process is continued until the whole plot is dealt 
with. 



TO MAKE A HOT-BED 



Hot-beds are of great importance and value in even 
the smallest garden, not only for the growing of 
cucumbers and melons and the raising of seeds which 
require bottom heat for their germination, but also 
for the production of early crops of lettuce, radishes, 
carrots, and other choice vegetables. A good supply of 
fresh stable manure is the essential. It must be fresh — 
that is to say, it should not be more than a fortnight old. 
If there is a difficulty in obtaining sufficient stable 
manure, it may be mixed with about half its bulk of 
beech or oak leaves, or even lawn mowings or garden 
refuse. The manure is to be well forked over as soon 
as it arrives, and any tangled masses shaken apart. It is 
then to be thrown up into a conical heap, and moistened 
with water. Leave it for four days, and then turn it 
completely over again, forming another heap, which 
should also be left for four days. During this time it 
should be kept well trodden. At the end of this time 
the manure will be in a fit condition for the making of 
the bed. A situation having been chosen in a sunny 
quarter, the manure is then to be spread in layers on a 
piece of ground about a foot larger in each direction 
than the frame which is to cover the bed. As each 
layer is laid, it is to be well beaten with the fork before 
the next layer is placed on it. Continue spreading the 
manure till the back of the bed is about four feet in 
height and the front about three feet. The whole is 
to be beaten down firmly, and on this the frame is to be 
placed. A stick about a yard long is then to be thrust 
20 



TO MAKE A HOT-BED 21 

obliquely into the centre of the bed, and is to be used 
as a sort of rough thermometer. Each day the stick 
should be withdrawn, and the heat of its lower end 
tested with the hand. As soon as it can be comfortably 
held the frame is ready for use. If seeds, cuttings, or 
plants are to be inserted in the hot-bed itself, three 
inches of light good soil should be spread over the 
surface of the manure. A hot-bed of this description, 
made about the middle of March, will retain its heat 
until midsummer. Hot-beds made in January or Feb- 
ruary will require to have their own heat supplemented 
by that afforded by linings, consisting of hot fermenting 
manure which has been placed in a heap at once, and 
then arranged in a layer eighteen inches thick around 
the bed to its full height. In very cold weather this 
lining will require to be changed about every two or 
three weeks. 



HARDY PERENNIALS 



The characteristic feature of old English gardens, 
whether attached to cottage or mansion, is what is 
known as mixed borders of hardy herbaceous plants. 
Almost every garden enthusiast, whose interest lies 
outside the exhibition table, is most attached to this 
feature of his garden. 

At every season of the year it contains something of 
interest. From the flowering of the earliest primrose of 
the spring to the last of the Michaelmas Daisies there is 
no time when beautiful and fragrant flowers are absent 
from the v/ell-planted mixed border. Moreover, the 
plants, coming up as they do season after season, become 
a part of the very atmosphere of the garden, and one 
gets to look for each flower's return in a particular 
spot. 

The mixed border requires comparatively little atten- 
tion, if it is thoroughly prepared at the commencement, 
as, beyond weeding and occasional hoeing of the surface, 
the periodical adding of a little manure, thinning out a 
plant here, or replacing a plant there, little work is neces- 
sary from one autumn to another. The mixed border 
also offers a home for any chance new plant which comes 
into our possession. 

In preparing a border for herbaceous plants the first 
thing is to manure it thoroughly and trench it deeply. 
At least a couple of months before planting, the ground 
should be trenched to a depth of three feet or more, 
and a heavy dressing of farmyard manure thoroughly 
incorporated with the whole depth of soil. Just before 

22 



HARDY PERENNIALS 23 

planting a heavy dressing of leaf mould should be forked 
in and mixed with the top spit. Should the soil be of a 
heavy clayey character, the addition of some road grit or 
mortar rubbish is very beneficial. 

It is generally wise to re-make a part of a herbaceous 
border every autumn, so that no one part remains 
unmade for more than about four years. 

Where possible, the border should be not less than 
three feet wide, but, of course, everything depends 
upon the space at disposal. The back of the border 
should be planted with large plants of bold and striking 
beauty, while towards the front those of lower growth 
should be planted ; at the same time monotony should 
be avoided by allowing the smaller plants to run back 
here and there among the taller plants, and an occasional 
group of plants of moderate height to break the line of 
the front of the border. The ground should, during 
the summer at all events, be practically hidden by 
foliage, but at the same time every plant should have 
ample room for individual development, and there should 
be no suggestion of overcrowding. With the strictly 
herbaceous plants may be used the various hardy flower- 
ing bulbs, such as crocuses, snowdrops, and daffodils, 
which come into flower earlier in the year than the 
majority of herbaceous plants. 

Mr Frank Miles, who was one of the pioneers of this 
form of gardening, at any rate as we now understand it, 
held that every six inches of ground should contain its 
plant so that no six inches of spare ground need obtrude 
on the eye. His idea may be better understood from his 
own description. 

Supposing," he said, **the back of the border filled 
with Delphiniums, Phloxes, and Roses pegged down, 
and other summer and autumn-blooming plants, and 
supposing the border to be made as I have described it, 
I should carpet the ground at the back with spring- 



24 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



blooming flowers, so that when the Roses are bare and 
the Delphiniums and Phloxes have not pushed above 
ground, the border should even then be a blaze of 
beauty. Crocuses, Snowdrops, Aconites, and Primroses 
are quite enough for that purpose. The whole space 
under the Roses I should cover with the common Wood 
Anemone, and the golden Wood Anemone, and early 
Cyclamens, and the earliest Dwarf Daffodils. And 
among the Roses and Paeonies and other medium-sized 
shrubs, I would put all the taller Lilies, such as require 
continual shade on their roots ; and such as Bardalinum. 
and the Californian Lilies generally, the Japanese, 
Chinese, and finer American Lilies. Now we come more to 
the front of the border, and here I would have combin- 
ations, such as the great St Bruno's Lily and the delicate 
hybrid Columbines, Primroses planted over hardy autumn 
Gladioli, so that when the Primroses are at rest the 
Gladioli should catch the eye ; Carnations and Daffodils, 
planted so that the Carnations form a maze of blue-green 
for the delicate creams and oranges of the daffodils. 
When the Daffodils are gone there are the Carnations in 
the autumn. A mass of Iberis correafolia happens to 
have been the very best thing possible for some Lilium 
Browni to grow through, for the Iberis flowered early 
and then made a protection for the young growth of the 
Browni, and then a lovely dark green setting for the 
infinite beauty of the lily flowers. As for saying this 
cannot be done, I say that it is nonsense, for the Iberis 
flowered beautifully under such circumstances, and the 
Lilies too. If once you get it into your head that no 
bit of ground ought ever to be seen without flowers or 
immediate prospect of flowers, heaps of combinations 
will immediately occur to those conversant with plants, 
and the deep-rooting habits of most bulbs and the surface- 
rooting of many herbaceous plants — for instance, Colchi- 
cums and Daffodils, with a surface of Campmiula pusilla 



HARDY PERENNIALS 25 

alba. The big leaves of the Colchicum grow in spring, 
and there would be nothing but leaves were it not for 
the masses of Daffodils. By and by the leaves of the 
Colchicums and Daffodils are dry enough to pull away, 
and then the Campanula, be it pusilla, alba, or turb'mata 
alba, comes into a sheet of bloom. Before the bloom has 
passed away the Colchicum blooms begin to push up, 
and as some of my Colchicums are five inches across, of 
the richest rose colour, I do not exactly feel that this is 
a colourless kind of gardening, and as I have a hundred 
different kinds of Daffodils, this little arrangement will 
not be without interest in spring. 

The Daffodils and Colchicums root deeply and grow 
mostly in winter, requiring water then, and not in sum- 
mer, when the Campanula carpet is taking it all. There 
are some, however, which one must be careful about — 
the common White Lily, for instance, which wants 
exposing to the sun in the autumn. I do not mind the 
exquisite French Poppies among these candidum Lilies, 
because the Poppies die about August, and then the 
Lilies get their baking and refuse to show the bare earth, 
soon covering it all with their leaves. For the extreme 
front of the border hundreds of combinations will occur — 
Pansies over Daffodils, Portulaca over Central Asian 
bulbs, Christmas Roses and Hellebores over the taller 
Daffodils, with Gladioli, Tritomas, Hepaticas, and 
autumn-blooming and spring-blooming Cyclamens, with 
Scillas and Snowdrops. When Anemoiie Japotiica is 
low, up come the taller Tulips, Sylvestris for instance, 
and higher still out of the dark green leaves come the 
bejewelled Crown Imperials. 

Such a border as this is never dull, never unin- 
teresting, and never flowerless. 

To start a herbaceous border, the autumn is usually 
the best time, and the earlier in the autumn you set 
about the work, the better. The majority of bulbs are 



26 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



better planted not later than September, and herbaceous 
plants are best moved at a time when their old stems 
have died down and new growth has not commenced. 
Most hardy perennials are propagated by division of the 
roots, but many are easily raised from seed. The seed 
should, as a rule, be thinly sown in April, in pots, the 
surface of the earth having been previously watered. 
The seed should be just covered with fine soil and a 
piece of glass placed over the top to check evaporation. 
As soon as the seedlings are above ground, the glass 
should be removed, and when the young plants are fit 
to handle, they should be transplanted into separate 
pots, and gradually hardened off. The pots in which 
the seeds are sown should be placed in a cold frame 
or an unheated greenhouse, and kept there until the 
seedlings are fit to transplant. 

The number of beautiful herbaceous plants is almost 
infinite, but we shall give here a short selection of 
plants arranged according to their height and according 
to the season in which they flower. These lists will 
be of some help to the beginner until he has had time 
and experience to select for himself. 

Some few years ago the Royal Horticultural Society, 
as the result of a large number of inquiries, drew up a 
list of the most valuable hardy summer perennials, and 
from their lists the following abridged lists have been 
prepared : — 

The most useful perennial herbaceous border plants, 
4 feet high and upwards. 

Delphinium — cardinale, formosum vars.. Belladonna, 

hybridum vars. 
Rudbeckia — laciniata, maxima, nitida, purpurea. 
Kniphofia — caulescens, nobilis, Uvaria. 
Thalictrum — aquilegifolium, glaucum. 



HARDY PERENNIALS 27 

Althaea rosea vars. (Hollyhocks). 
Aconitum — album, autumnale, Napellus. 
Pyrethrum uliginosum. 

Campanula — lactiflora, latifolia van eriocarpa, mac- 

rantha, pyramidalis. 
Spiraea Aruncus. 
Phlox decussata. 
Ferula tingitana. 
Papaver bracteatum. 
Doronicum plantagineum excelsum. 
Paeonia vars. 

The most useful perennial herbaceous border plants, 
2| to 4 feet high. 

Campanula — latifolia, persicifolia, p. alba, pyramidalis, 

urticifolia alba, celtidifolia. 
Doronicum — plantagineum excelsum, Clusii. 
Spirsea — plamata, venusta, Aruncus. 
Papaver — orientale, bracteatum. 
Anemone — japonica alba, alpina. 
Phlox decussata and vars. 
Lychnis chalcedonica. 
Hemerocallis — flava, fulva. 
P^enoia vars. 

Aconitum — japonicum, autumnale, variegatum, Na- 
pellus bicolor. 
Aquilegia — chrysantha, coerulea vars. 
Iris germanica — pallida, p. dalmatica. 
Lilium — bulbiferum, Szovitsianum, candidum. 
Galega — officinalis, o. alba. 
Pyrethrum — roseum vars. 

Eryngium — Oliverianum (amethystinum), gigantum, 

dichotomum. 
Thalictrum aquilegifolium. 
Lupinus — nootkatensis, arborous, polyphyllus. 



i 



2 8 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



Delphinium Belladonna." 

Achillea — Millefolium rosea, ptarmica pL, serrata pi. 

The most useful perennial herbaceous border plants, 
9 inches to 2| feet high. 

Campanula — Van Houttei, azurea, grandiflora alba 

macrantha, Dahurica, persicifolia alba. 
Iris — stylosa, germanica vars., Kaempfori vars., 

barbatus vars. 
Polemonium — Fergussoni,pilosum album, Richardsoni, 

coeruleum grandiflorum. 
Spiraea — palmata, filipendula pi., astilboides. 
Geranium — armenum, ibericum, platypetalum, 

eriostemon. 
Dicentra — spectabilis, formosa, eximea. 
Aquilegia — coerulea, Stuarti. 
Anemone — ^japonica alba, alpina. 

Troliius — europaeus, americanus, asiaticus, napelli- 
folius. 

Paeonia — vars. of officinalis, chinensis, edulis, albiflora. 
Coreopsis lanceolata. 

Ranunculus — amplexicaulis, aconitifolius. 

Geum coccineum pi. 

CEnothera Youngi. 

Carnations, Picotees, Pinks. 

Heuchera sanguinea. 

Funkia Sieboldi. 

The most useful perennial herbaceous border plants, 
under 9 inches high. 

Campanula — turbinata, isophylla, i. alba, G. F. 
Wilson, pulla, muralis, garganica, hirsuta, pumila, 
p. alba, carpatica, c. pallida, imbricata. 

Anemone — Pulsatilla, palmata, coronaria, fulgens, 
apennina, blanda, nemorosa. 



HARDY PERENNIALS 29 

Hepatica — angulosa, triloba. 
Gentiana — acaulis, verna. 

Dianthus — alpinus, plumarius, deltoides, annulatus, 

barbatus magnificus. 
Primula — rosea, nivalis, Sieboldi vars., vulgaris vars. 
Iberis — superba, coriafolia, sempervirens, Prosti, 

gibraltarica. 
Aubrietia — Hendersoni, Leichtlini, violacea. 
Cheiranthus — alpinus, Marchalli. 
Silene — Schafta, acaulis aurea, maritima. 
Saxifraga — oppositfolia, Camposii, granulata p]., 

Wallacei. 
Alyssum — saxatile reptans, alpestre. 
Iris pumila vars. 
Phlox — subulata vars., amoena. 
^nothera — eximia, taraxacifolia, macrocarpa. 



ANNUALS 



Whilst the real interest of a garden must always be 
associated with its perennial plants — those faithful friends 
which flower year after year — no one, least of all the 
beginner, can do without those more showy, though 
shorter-lived plants which complete their existence in 
a single season. To furnish a new garden with 
perennial plants takes time or money, or both, whereas 
for a shilling or two we may purchase enough seeds of 
annuals * to fill a considerable garden with colour and 
fragrance in a few months. It is true that we cannot 
thus obtain flowers during the early months of spring, 
when it is essential that a plant, in order to flower, may 
have some hoard of nutriment in bulb or root on which 
it may draw and thus be independent of the sun's light 
and heat. We have among the annuals no substitute for 
the Crocus and the Snowdrop, the winter Aconite and the 
early Primrose. But from April to October a garden 
can be kept full of flowers by means of annuals alone. 
By means of these flowers also we may keep our garden 
bright and interesting while we are building up our 
collection of herbaceous plants, of which the garden will 
largely consist in future years. There are, moreover, 
many annual flowers which no garden, new or old, can 
do without. What shall we say of a garden which 
contains no Mignonette, no Poppies, no Sweet Peas, no 
Stocks, no Love-in-a-mist ? Annual plants, of course, are 
entirely raised from seeds, and these are to be sown partly 
in the spring, partly in the autumn. Most should be sown 
in March or April. Those which are required to bloom 
30 



ANNUALS 



31 



in early spring should be sown in August and September. 
Some annuals benefit by being transplanted, others again 
should be sown where they are to remain. In any case 
the soil should be carefully prepared, and the seed sown 
thinly, as explained in the chapter on seed-sowing. 
"When the seedlings appear they should be vigorously 
thinned, so as to allow each plant space for individual 
healthy development. In good soil a single plant of 
Mignonette, for instance, will cover a piece of ground 
a foot in diameter. Often one sees a dozen crowded 
and starved plants trying to grow on this area. An 
important thing to remember in order to extend the 
flowering period over as many months as possible is to 
go over the beds every day or two, and cut off all 
flowers that have withered or are about to wither, 
before the seed pods have had time to develop. For 
the object of the plant is to produce seeds, and so to 
perpetuate its kind, and as long as this end is frustrated 
it will make repeated efforts to produce more flowers. 

It is an excellent rule not to sow all one's seeds at 
one time, but to sow at intervals so as to produce a more 
continuous display. Thus, whilst most kinds may be 
sown early in March to bloom in June and July, others 
may be sown at intervals right on to the beginning of 
June, thus yielding successive displays of bloom right on 
to October. Among the dwarf annuals especially suited 
for bedding purposes are Sweet Alyssum, which has 
white sweet-scented flowers ; Nemophila, which bears 
flowers of a brilliant blue ; Candytuft or Iberis, with 
colours varying between white, pink, and purple ; and 
Mignonette, with its unique fragrance. Taller plants are 
the so-called China Asters, which, by the way, are half 
hardy, and therefore need to be sown under glass in 
early March and planted out in May, although in mild 
seasons seed may be successfully sown in the open air 
towards the end of April ; Dwarf Nasturtiums, of many 



32 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



colours, every one beautiful ; Limnanthes with yellow 
and white fragrant flowers ; the showy Portulaca or 
Sunflower, which requires a warm, sunny situation ; 
Shirley Poppies ; Caucasian Poppies and Opium Poppies ; 
Lupins, blue and white ; the annual Larkspurs, which are 
best sown in autumn ; Cornflowers ; Clarkia in every 
shade between rose and white ; Eschscholtzias, or 
California Poppies, orange, yellow and white ; Sweet 
Sultans, especially the white varieties ; Salpiglossis, 
graceful in habit, with flowers in every shade of purple 
and orange ; Coreopsis, with slender stems and flowers 
of orange and velvety brown ; Lavatera, with flowers 
like a single hollyhock ; Phlox Drummondii, which is 
another half hardy annual and should be sown under 
glass ; the night-scented tobacco plant, growing to over 
three feet in height, and bearing creamy white flowers 
which keep closed during the day but open in the 
evening, when they pour forth their delicious fragrance ; 
and the Chinese or Indian Pinks, with flowers of varied 
colours — white, scarlet, and pink. There are also many 
pretty grasses, which are easily raised from seed. 
There are the quaking grasses, Briza maxima and Bri%a 
minima ; the hare's tail grass, Ligurus ovatus \ the cloud 
grass, Agrastis fiebidosa ; and the squirrel's tail grass, 
Hordeum jiihatum. Closely allied to annuals are the 
groups of plants known as biennials. These should be 
treated much after the manner of annuals, the seed 
being sown in May. These, however, will not bloom 
during the same summer. The seedlings will require 
to be planted out in autumn, and flowers will appear 
during the following spring and summer. Among the 
plants which may be treated in this way are Canterbury 
Bells, Evening Primroses, Wallflowers, Snapdragons and 
Foxgloves. 

Not only may we thus raise plants for our beds and 
borders from seed sown the same season, but among 



ANNUALS 



33 



annuals are also several of our most beautiful climbing 
plants for the decoration of fences and arches. The 
Japanese Hop is one of the most rampant of these climb- 
ing plants, and will quickly cover an arch or arbour. 
Then again we have the climbing Nasturtium, the grace- 
ful Canary Creeper, and the convolvulus-like Morning 
Glory or Ipomea, which latter is tender and must be 
sown over a hot bed in February and gradually hardened 
off in April. The scarlet-flowered Tropaoleum lobhianum 
is another valuable climber for a sunny situation. But 
of all annual plants perhaps the most valuable is the 
Sweet Pea. No flowers are more easy to grow, and 
none yields a greater reward. Most people make the 
mistake of sowing their seed much too thickly. Sweet 
Peas need plenty of space, and not less than five or six 
inches must be allowed from seed to seed. The ground 
which is to be devoted to this plant should be deeply 
dug in the autumn, and well manured. It should be 
left rough during the winter in order to sweeten the 
soil. The seed is usually sown in April, about two 
inches deep, the soil, which had been dug the previous 
autumn, as just described, being further enriched by 
placing a layer of old manure about eighteen inches 
below the surface. Stake the young plants early — that 
is, soon after they are above ground. In order to obtain 
earlier flowers old sods of turf should be turned upside 
down, and in February the seeds should be inserted in 
the soil about five or six inches apart, and placed in a 
cool glasshouse or cool frame. These will be fit to 
plant out in April. The ground they are to occupy 
should have holes dug out about two feet in depth, of 
the size of the turves, and at the bottom of each hole a 
spadeful of manure should be placed. On this should 
be laid some good garden soil, and on this again the 
turves, which should come to within an inch of the 
surface of the ground. A little fine earth should then 
c 



34 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



be sprinkled between the plants so as to make the whole 
level. These clumps should be staked at once. The 
flowers should begin to appear early in June, and provid- 
ing the seed pods are removed as soon as they form, the 
flowering season should extend well into September. In 
buying the seeds some of the newer varieties should be 
selected. The flowers are larger and the flower stalks 
longer, and these advantages are gained without any 
sacrifice of fragrance or grace. 



I 



ROSES 

Everyone who has a garden naturally wishes to grow 
Roses, and given enthusiasm and perseverance there is 
no situation where some Roses at least may not be 
grown. In large towns, especially manufacturing towns, 
there is considerable difficulty in growing Roses, though 
even here the selection of the most suitable kinds and 
the proper preparation of the soil will work wonders. An 
important part of the culture of Roses in towns consists 
in the daily use of the syringe in the growing season, so 
that the leaves may be kept clean and their pores open. 
The work of the syringe may sometimes require to be 
supplemented by the use of a soft sponge for removing 
soot from the leaves. Even where it is found almost 
impossible to grow Roses in the open air they may 
be still enjoyed under glass. As to situation, most 
gardeners are more or less limited in their choice. 
Low-lying, damp situations should, however, be avoided 
if possible, for it is certain that the same amount of frost 
in the bottom of a valley is more injurious than on 
higher ground, where the air is dryer. In order to 
succeed, Roses must have a free circulation of air, abund- 
ance of sunshine, and yet shelter from strong winds. 
Especially must they be protected from north-east winds 
in spring, and in the summer protection from the south- 
west is little less important. If no wall exists hedges 
should be planted on the west and north sides of the 
rose-garden. These should be allowed to grow to the 
height of six or seven feet, and dwarf hedges of sweet- 
briar or other low-growing shrub should be formed on 

35 



36 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



the east and south. Of course most beginners in rose- 
growing will have their gardens already framed by- 
means of walls, and the necessity for additional pro- 
tection will, in such cases, be unnecessary. In any case 
only such Roses should be chosen as are likely to 
succeed under the conditions we are able to afford. 

Whilst in the matter of situation most of us are little 
able to pick and choose, in the matter of soil we are 
much more able to pander to the requirements of our 
Roses. Different classes of Roses thrive in different soils, 
but as a general rule Roses do best in a strong, deep, rich, 
greasy loam, resting, not less than two feet down, on 
a well-drained subsoil of chalk or gravel. Where oaks 
and elms grow large and wheat crops are heavy there 
Roses are likely to succeed with the minimum of trouble. 
Rarely, however, can the rose-grower expect to find 
his soil naturally such as the Rose most desires. But 
the beginner may cheer himself by the knowledge that 
there is not a county in the British Isles without its 
successful rose-growers and exhibitors, and there is not 
a soil which cannot be so modified and improved as to 
produce perfect blooms. The modifications need to be 
effected according to the original soil with which we 
have to deal. It used to be thought that a clay soil was 
the only, or at any rate the best, soil in which to grow 
Roses. This is by no means the case, for although few 
soils are more suitable than the rich fertile clay of 
Colchester, no soil could be much less hopeful than the 
shaly clay of the Sussex Weald. If our land is of a 
clayey nature, especially if it be ill-drained, every effort 
must be made to lighten it and to abolish that putty-like 
character which makes it so difficult to cultivate. In 
other words, we must get the particles of soil as separate 
as possible, and for this purpose clay soil requires to be 
thoroughly mixed with sand grit, road scrapings, ashes, 
or strawy manure. If, on the other hand, the soil is 



ROSES 



37 



gravelly, there is nothing to be done but to remove the 
gravel to the depth of two feet, and replace it by good 
heavy loam, although Tea Roses often do excellently in 
gravel soil with which stable manure has been liberally 
incorporated, provided a little heavier soil be placed 
about their roots in planting. Sandy soils require treat- 
ing in the same way as gravel soils — that is, the top two 
or three feet should be completely removed and re- 
placed by strong rich loam. Mr Harkness, one of our 
most successful rose-growers, makes his rose bed on 
the following lines : — The beds are made five feet wide. 
This will admit three rows of plants in each, and will 
be found a convenient width, as it allows each plant to 
be attended to without stepping on the soil. Commence 
by removing the whole of the soil out of the first bed to 
the depth of from twelve to fifteen inches, the full width 
of the bed, and about four feet of its length, placing this 
at the other end of last bed ready to fill in the last 
trench. Having done so, fill in with a layer, grass 
downwards, of good meadow or roadside turf, then a 
layer four inches thick of partly decomposed manure, 
then about six inches of the soil of the next trench. 
Over this place about two or three inches of well-rotted 
manure, which, with the remaining six inches of soil, 
will bring the bed to its required height. Raise the 
beds rather than lower them ; they will be w^armer and 
drier than if sunk below the natural level, or if too high 
some of the poorest soil may be carted away. Each 
bed, if parallel with each other, can be made by com- 
mencing at alternate ends, the soil taken from the first 
trench will complete the last bed, and labour will thus 
be saved. 

A cheap and effective method of applying clay 
is, in early autumn, to spread it over the surface 
of the soil to the depth of two or three inches, and 
allow it to lie until it crumbles down through frost and 



38 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



exposure. Then it should be trenched in to form a 
foundation of at least fifteen inches below the surface. 
There it will absorb and retain moisture, afford a cool 
feeding ground for the roots of the Rose in hot, dry 
weather, and in wet weather will arrest and store up 
till wanted the fertilising gases which the rain washes 
down. Where clay is not obtainable, additional supplies 
of manure will be necessary. Those most lasting and 
cooling, such as cow and pig dung, are best. 

The beginner in rose-growing should begin his pre- 
parations for planting while Roses are yet in bloom. He 
should then visit a collection, either in a private garden 
or in a nursery, and decide what varieties he intends to 
order. He must not, however, decide this without 
reference to the conditions under which his Roses will be 
grown. The Roses should actually be ordered in 
October. In this way not only are the best plants 
secured, but also the soil will be still warm enough to 
cause the plants to make fresh roots before the winter 
becomes severe. Immediately the plants are received 
from the nursery the bundles should be opened and the 
roots placed in a shallow trench and at once covered with 
soil, and the latter well watered. If, however, the 
ground is frozen when the plants arrive, the bundles 
should be left unopened and placed in a cool frost-proof 
cellar or other room until the ground thaws. The 
actual planting is of great importance. The soil having 
been prepared and the beds having been made ready 
as described above, the planting should be performed 
according to the following directions, epitomised from 
the admirable Hints on Planting Roses," issued by the 
National Rose Society : — Some of the plants should be 
carefully removed from the trench where they had 
been heeled in," and brought to the side of the bed 
they are intended to occupy. A mat should always be 
thrown over them to keep their roots from drying by 



ROSES 



39 



exposure to sun or wind. A hole should then be dug 
about a foot square, and of sufficient depth, in the case 
of dwarf (or bush ") Roses, to allow the junction of 
the stock and scion to be about an inch below the surface 
of the bed when the operation is completed. In the case 
of standards the hole should be six inches deep. A 
plant should then be taken from beneath the mat, 
sprinkled with water, and held with the left hand in the 
centre of the hole, while with the right the roots are 
spread out horizontally and evenly in it, taking care that 
the roots cross each other as little as possible. Some of 
the finest soil available should next be sprinkled over the 
roots so as just to cover them. Over this light covering 
place three inches more soil, which may then be trodden 
in and the hole filled up. Tread the soil firmly round 
the plant when this has been done. Firm planting is 
very necessary for the future well-being of Roses. 

In the case of heavy soils, or where the ground remains 
for any length of time in too wet a condition for the 
planting of Roses to be satisfactorily carried out, it is an 
excellent plan to secure some light gritty soil, such as 
the clippings obtained from the sides of roads when the 
grass edges are being cut. A spadeful of this material 
may then with advantage be placed both above and 
beneath the roots instead of the natural soil. Soil of this 
character may be firmly trodden without caking together, 
and the grit in it encourages the early formation of roots. 

When planting Roses singly on lawns or elsewhere, the 
same method should be followed as when inserting them 
in beds. 

Previous to planting Roses singly on lawns or in 
borders a hole should be dug for each, eighteen inches 
square and eighteen inches deep. The soil removed from 
the holes should be well mixed with one-fourth of its 
quantity of well-decayed manure before being restored to 
them. If the soil be found poor and unsuitable, better 



40 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



soil from another part of the garden or some turfy loam 
should be substituted. No grass should be allowed to 
grow within at least six inches of the stem of Standard 
Roses planted on lawns. 

In the matter of manures, Roses are somewhat gross 
feeders. Their needs, like those of most other plants, 
are of two kinds : firstly, they require in the soil the 
presence of a quantity of that decomposed organic 
material known as humus, which gives to old garden 
soil its dark colour and unctuous feel ; secondly, they 
require certain mineral ingredients, notably those known 
as nitrates and phosphates. Good farmyard manure to 
a large extent meets both these needs, though it is often 
desirable to supplement it by certain chemical manures 
as presently described. Old garden soil often contains 
already a sufficiency of humus, and better results are 
then frequently yielded by artificial manures, combined 
with annual top-dressings of farmyard manure or leaf 
mould. When preparing the ground for rose planting 
the addition of a dressing of quarter-inch bones gives 
good results. The best time to add artificial manures 
to already established Roses is in February, an equal 
mixture of superphosphate of lime and nitrate of potash 
being applied to the previously-hoed surface at the rate 
of a quarter of a pound per square yard. A very 
important part of the cultivation of Roses lies in keeping 
the surface of the ground pulverised to a depth of at 
least an inch at all seasons of the year. This not only 
helps to maintain an even temperature for the roots, but 
also tends to check undue evaporation. 

The pruning of Roses, although commonly considered 
as a very esoteric process, is really simplicity itself. March 
is probably the best month for pruning all Roses except 
Teas and Noisettes. In the care of climbing Roses 
there should not be much cutting back. All dead and 
weakly wood should be removed altogether, and the 



ROSES 



41 



minimum number of ripe shoots having been selected to 
remain, the rest should be cut right away. Banksian 
Roses, however, must be pruned very lightly, only the 
dead wood being removed, and the strong shoots slightly 
shortened. Summer Roses and Hybrid Perpetuals 
should be pruned much more severely. All dead wood 
should be removed, and all old wood which is becoming 
weakly in comparison with the rest of the plant. All 
weak and sappy growths should also be removed, and 
the strong growths which remain should be cut back to 
a bud growing outwards about eight inches from the 
ground. The weaklier the variety the fewer buds 
should be left, and the more severe should be the 
pruning. Tea Roses and Noisettes should be pruned 
in April or May. In this case but little cutting is 
required. The dead and weakly growths should be 
removed, and any tendency to 'Megginess" should be 
corrected. Sweet Briars and other single Roses need 
no pruning whatever. As to stocks, it is generally 
better to purchase Roses grown on the briar stock or on 
their own roots, and insistence should be laid on the 
plant having plenty of fibrous roots. 



SMALL TOWN GARDENS 



Gardeners who live in the suburbs of a town can, by 
a little extra care and perseverance, grow flowers, fruit, 
and vegetables almost as well as those who live in the 
remote country. But there are many who are placed 
actually in the town itself, and whose gardens consist 
merely of little back-yards almost surrounded by bricks 
and mortar ; those little plots which Dickens described 
as enclosed bits of dirt." Yet the keen and enthusi- 
astic gardener can convert even a little slum back-yard 
into a real garden, which shall contain beautiful flowers 
in eight months out of the twelve. Of course in this 
case a good deal of preliminary trouble must be taken. 
To plant flowers in the sour, caked mixture of bricks, 
concrete, and decomposed cabbage which constitutes the 
*'soil" of most back-yards is mere waste of labour. 
The first thing to do is to dig and break up the soil 
to a depth of at least two and a half feet. For this 
purpose a pickaxe will probably be necessary, as well 
as a spade. At least half of this soil must be taken 
away, and good soil substituted. The best soil to add 
consists of sods of turf, of which a load may be some- 
times purchased cheaply from a suburban builder when 
he is clearing new ground for building purposes. Also 
a really liberal dressing of stable manure must be 
thoroughly incorporated with the soil. Two wheel- 
barrow loads of manure should be allowed to each rod 
of ground. Unless this preparation of the soil is 
thoroughly done no good results can be looked for. 
The work should be done in the autumn, and the 
42 



SMALL TOWN GARDENS 



ground left till early in the following spring, when it 
should again be thoroughly dug over and levelled. In 
the matter of planning such a little garden there is a 
good deal of choice. Different individuals are interested 
in different groups of plants, and each will endeavour to 
meet the requirements of the subjects of his hobby. 
Thus one may be interested in Alpine plants, and will 
convert his back garden into a rock garden — by no 
means a bad use to make of a small space ; another 
may aim at the ideal of the country cottage garden. In 
any case simplicity should be the keynote of its arrange- 
ment. For the ordinary little oblong strip at the back 
of small town houses the best effect is generally given 
by a somewhat formal scheme. A small central brick 
path with a border on either side is as good an arrange- 
ment as any, or, where the patch is somewhat wider, 
say more than twelve feet, there may be a small central 
rectangular bed separated by a narrow brick path from 
a border round three sides of the garden. So much for 
the planning of the garden and the preparation of its 
soil. Experience will show what plants will thrive. 
With proper care it is surprising how many plants will 
grow and prosper even in the very centre of a large 
town. All walls and palings should as far as possible 
be draped with climbing plants. Walls facing north 
or east may be covered with Virginian Creeper or Ivy. 
Those facing south or west may be clothed with Clematis 
or Jasmine. Annual climbers such as Canary Creepers, 
Japanese Hop, and Ipomea are of the greatest value 
for hiding unsightly fences. The beginner should not 
attempt to grow Tea or Hybrid Perpetual Roses, though 
the Japanese Roses and the various Briars do well. Do 
not be content with the dull plants usually grown in 
little town gardens. Persevere and you will be surprised 
how few flowers fail if properly treated. Here are a 
few names which may help the beginner. Among 



44 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



bulbs which should be planted in the autumn are 
Crocuses, Snowdrops, Scillas, English and Spanish 
Irises, Tulips and Daffodils, and among other perennial 
plants are Goatsrue, Chrysanthemums, Carnations, Pinks, 
German Irises, Polyanthuses, Pansies, and Stocks. Keep 
the surface of the ground from caking by stirring it 
every week or two with a small hoe. During the 
summer months water thoroughly every evening. Keep 
the leaves as clean as possible by means of the garden 
syringe. Watch for snails and slugs, and destroy them. 



TO MAKE A LAWN 

Lawns may be made either by laying turf or by sowing 
seed. The former is the quicker process, the latter the 
cheaper and better. In preparing a piece of ground for a 
lawn the first thing is to provide efficient drainage. The 
land may be naturally well drained, but if not, trenches 
about a foot wide should be dug across the ground at 
intervals of about twelve feet, to a depth of about a foot 
below the subsoil. These trenches are to be filled with 
stones or cinders to the level of the top of the subsoil, and 
the soil replaced. Any excess moisture will drain into these 
trenches. The ground should then be thoroughly dug, 
a dressing of old manure well incorporated with it, and 
the surface carefully levelled. The turves, which must 
be cut to a uniform depth of about three inches, may be 
laid any time between October and April. When the 
whole is laid the turves are to be beaten well down with 
the lawn beater, and any small spaces between the turves 
filled in with fine soil. Every day the lawn must be 
rolled and watered, and as soon as the grass begins to 
grow it should be mown with a scythe. When the 
lawn is to be made from seed the soil should be pre- 
pared exactly as above advised. The seed should be 
sown thickly — a pound of seed being allowed to every 
thirty square yards of ground — about the middle of 
April. The ground should have been previously rolled, 
and then scratched over with a rake. After the seed is 
sown, finely sifted soil should be scattered evenly by 
hand at the rate of three bushels for every thirty square 
yards. The ground is then to be thoroughly rolled. 

45 



46 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



Until the grass appears birds must be kept off by means 
of cotton or other scares. After the grass is two inches 
in height it should be cut with a scythe once weekly. 
A month or two later the ground should be rolled, and 
from that time onwards a roller mowing machine should 
be used frequently. 



ROCK OR ALPINE GARDENS 



There are tew ways of making a small garden 
interesting more effective than by the construction of a 
simple rock garden for the growth of the smaller Alpine 
plants, and in the case of larger gardens a properly 
made rock garden always forms one of its most interest- 
ing features. The first thing for the beginner to get 
out of his mind, however, is the notion that the rock 
garden proper has any relation to the heap of refuse, 
broken pottery, shells, and clinkers to which the name 
of rockery" is commonly applied. A rock garden, 
whether small or big, is merely a suitable home for the 
cultivation of certain plants whose roots do best when 
allowed to nestle against or creep under stones more or 
less buried in the ground. In the rockery," as it is 
generally known, the aim seems to be to produce the 
most showy and hideous collection of stones, shells, 
and fragments obtainable ; in the rock garden the first 
thought is the health of the plants which are to 
occupy it. 

The object of the stones is to retain moisture for the 
roots, and at the same time to keep the stems of the 
plants dry. The usual mistake made in the construction 
of rock gardens is to make a stone structure, and on this 
to place a more or less shallow layer of soil. It is 
commonly thought that these little plants require but 
very shallow soil. A depression in the surface of a stone 
is occupied with a cupful of earth, and this is thought 
to provide a comfortable home for any Alpine plant you 
may care to plant there. As these plants occur in a 

47 



48 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



state of nature they often appear to be growing on the 
very surface of the rock itself, yet if we break away a 
part of the rock on whose surface they appear to be 
rooted, we shall find there rootlets penetrating for 
inches, often for feet, through minute cracks and crevices 
scarcely visible to the eye. As a rule, Alpines do not 
require rich soil, but depth of soil they must have. 
Only in this way are they able to be afforded that uni- 
formity of temperature which is one of the essentials of 
their existence. Three feet deep is not too much for 
most kinds of Alpine plants, and for the majority of 
species this soil should consist of a mixture of loam, 
sand, leaf mould, peat, and broken grit. Indeed, the 
most satisfactory type of rock garden for a small area 
is to construct what is practically a slightly raised border 
almost buried in which are placed irregular masses of 
local rock. Only rough pieces of stone, preferably the 
stone of the locality, should be used. Limestone and 
sandstone are especially suitable. Burnt bricks, burrs, 
and shells should be carefully avoided. The pieces of 
stone should, as we have said, be almost buried in the 
soil, and the projecting parts should appear to be a 
natural outcrop of stone. In any case a rockery should 
be broad and with little exposure at the sides ; not high 
and pointed, as except in the case of a few plants the 
more exposure to the sun the better. Good drainage is 
essential, and this is one of the reasons why a rock 
garden should be raised somewhat above the general 
level of the surrounding ground. At the same time 
there must be no hollows in the middle of the rock 
garden, or the plant roots will be dried up. There 
must also be facilities for an efficient supply of water 
throughout the summer months. It is a good plan to 
mix with the soil a good proportion of grit or coarse 
sandstone, some growers even using as much as one half. 
The tendency to damp off" in winter, which is the 



ROCK OR ALPINE GARDENS 49 



cause of the death of so many Alpine plants, is largely 
diminished by this means. 

The best aspect for Alpine plants is east, and west is 
the worst. Wherever there is a steep bank facing south 
or east we have to hand a rock garden suitable for the 
growth of Alpine plants almost ready to our hands. All 
that is required is to bury a number of blocks of stone 
\o about three-quarters of their depth. 

In all cases where the elevation of the ground has to be 
effected artificially the proper way is to build up a mass 
of soil, putting in a rock here and there as the work 
proceeds. This is far better than to build up a struc- 
ture of stones and fill up the cracks of the soil afterwards. 
Among the best of rock gardens are old walls, and many 
plants that are grown with the greatest difficulty in 
borders or pots may be grown with great ease on an old 
stone or brick wall, especially that type of wall in which 
no mortar has been used. 

Such plants as Aubrietia, Cheddar Pinks, Alpine 
Wallflowers, Toadflax, and Stonecrops are easily grown 
in this way. A little soil should be pushed in the cracks 
with their roots at the time of planting. 

To sum up, the more a rock garden looks like a rough 
piece of stony ground and the less it looks like a rockery 
the better. 

The following is a short list of a few of the more 
valuable rock plants with which a beginner may 
experiment : — 

Acana microphylla, A little plant which forms a dense 
carpet covered with curious red spikes of flowers. 

Achillea clavenna. A white downy plant which is 
interesting throughout the year. 

Achillea tomentosa. Another downy-leaf plant bearing 
bright yellow flowers. 

Adonis Vernalisy which bears bright yellow flowers in 
spring. 

D 



so BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 

Alyssum alpestre, A grey-leaved plant, studded with 
tiny white hairs and bearing numerous bright yellow 
flowers. 

Alyssum argenteum. Somewhat similar to the last. 

Androsace Carnea^ bearing pretty rose flowers on 
twiggy stems. 

Androsace Lanuginosa, One of the prettiest of all 
Alpine plants, with trailing silvery leaves and lilac and 
white flowers with yellow eyes. 

Androsace sarmentosa, 

Arenaria balearica, which soon spreads into patches of 
highly green leaves. 

Auhrietia^ of various kinds, bearing flowers of every 
shade of purple. 

Arabis Albida, bearing white flowers in the very early 
spring. 



4 



BEAUTIFUL WINTER PLANTS 



At most seasons of the year the choice of beautiful 
plants is so large that the only trouble is to eliminate 
those which we can best do without, but in winter there 
is no such plethora, still there is a considerable number 
of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees which yield 
beautiful flowers, foliage, and berries almost in the 
very heart of winter. 

Among bulbous plants we have several of the beauti- 
ful Irises which succeed in the open in sheltered 
situations, especially in the South of England. Among 
these are : Iris reticulata, whose flowers smell like 
violets ; Iris histriades ; the green and black flowered 
Iris tuherosa \ Iris alata, and the fragrant lilac-flowered 
Iris stylosa. Most of these like a well-drained soil 
under a south wall, and should be planted about three 
inches deep with a handful of fine brick dust around the 
bulbs. 

Then we have the Snowdrops, the Crocuses, the 
Winter Aconites, Siberian Squills, Anemone Blanda, 
the Hepatica, the Chionodoxa, the Winter Cyclamen, 
and the Winter Hyacinth. 

The Christmas Roses and their successors, the Lenten 
Roses, can be made to provide a succession of flowers 
throughout the winter months. They all possess not 
only beautiful flowers, but handsome foliage. They are 
very easy to grow, provided they are left alone in a deep 
rich soil, preferably in dense shade. The flowers should 
be saved from being soiled by splashes of mud, by 
having moss placed on the earth beneath them. 

SI 



52 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



In waste spots, such as shady places under trees, 
where few things will grow, the Winter Coltsfoot will 
yield its fragrant, though insignificant, flowers early in 
January. It should not, however, be introduced into 
the garden proper, or there will be trouble in getting 
rid of it. In sheltered spots the Common Primrose, in 
its coloured varieties, often flowers in sheltered posi- 
tions early in January, and other species of Primula, 
noticeably the Caucasian Primrose and Primula deji- 
ticulata bear their flowers in the very depth of winter. 

On dry sheltered south borders the Spring Star- 
flower, Tritelia uniflora, produces its lilac flowers early 
in January. During dull weather the flowers remain 
closed, but every time the sun appears they open 
wide. 

Several of the Periwinkles flower during December 
and January, the earliest being the lilac-flowered Vinca 
acutiloha. 

In sunny spots several of the Saxifrages may be had 
in flower before the middle of February. The earliest 
is the little Sa^ifraga burseriana, which bears large white 
flowers on very short stalks. Next to flower is the 
yellow Saxifraga apiculata. 

Two other flowering winter herbs, not so often seen 
as one would wish, are the Winter Adonis, which bears 
yellow anemone-like flowers on stems about a foot 
high, early in February, and the Gold Coin or Hacquetia, 
a dwarf plant, whose flowers are surrounded by pale 
green leaves, during February and March. 

Among shrubs, several of the most beautiful bear 
their flowers in the earliest months of the year. The 
Winter Sweet, or Sweet Shrub, often opens its fragrant 
yellow flowers within a fortnight after Christmas. As 
this plant is readily affected by frost, it is better to grow 
it against the wall. The Winter Sweet is useful for 
cutting, as a single spray will scent any room. As soon 



BEAUTIFUL WINTER PLANTS 53 



as it has flowered, the young shoots should be pruned 
back to the old branches. The Yellow Jasmine is also 
valuable as a wall shrub. 

In March all the strongest shoots that have last 
flowered should be tied in, and the others should be cut 
out. The Jasmine flowers are also very fragrant. 

Another group of winter flowering shrubs is that of 
Wych-hazels. These bear their scented flowers from 
December onwards : the finest species is Hamamelis 
Japonica arborea. It bears beautiful flowers, with 
bright yellow petals and red centres, early in January. 
The flowers remaining in perfection for many weeks, 
often the entire plant is studded with these flowers. 

The Cornelian Cherry, or Cornus mas, bears thousands 
of small yellow flowers in January or February. 

The scarlet flowers of the Japanese Quince, Pyrus 
Japonica, appear in January, and the orange red flowers 
of Cydonia maiileii and the large white flowers of 
Cydonia ?iivalis also appear at the beginning of the 
year. 

At any rate in the South of England the Laurustinus 
is of great value in winter, but as it will not stand hard 
frost it is not much good trying to grow it in northern 
or exposed situations. 

The shrubby Honeysuckles, Lonicera jragrantissima- 
and Lonicera standishi, are easy to grow, as also are the 
Mezerion, the double Furze, and the evergreen Garrya 
eliptica. 

Several of the Heaths again flower in winter. Of 
these Erica carnea, with compact low cushions of green 
leaves and pale red flowers, and its white variety, are 
the best. 

Flowers, however, are not the only beautiful part of 
a plant. Many trees and shrubs are well worth growing 
for the berries which cover them in the winter-time. 
The Firethorn, Cratagus pyracantha, which bears 



54 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



clusters of bright red berries, often lasting right through 
the winter ; the various Cotoneasters ; several species of 
Pernettya ^ the Sea Buckthorn, Hippopha rahmnoides ; 
Aucuha Japonica ; the various Hollies ; the Strawberry 
Trees, especially Arbutus unedo ; the White-berried 
Snowberry \ the Purple-berried Gaultheria, and the 
Mistletoe are among the most valuable winter-berried 
shrubs. 

Other shrubs should be grown on account of their 
beautiful stem colouring in winter. Rubus biflorus, with 
stems as white as whitewash, the grey-stemmed Violet 
Willow, the red-stemmed Cardinal Willow, several of 
the Dogwoods, the yellow-twigged Lime, Spir^a 
Douglasii and Deutzia crenata are among the more notable 
of these. 

Nor should evergreens and evergreys be forgotten. 
Of evergreen trees and shrubs Yew, Hollies, Box, Tree 
Ivys, Barberries, Sand Myrtles, Dwarf Partridge Berries, 
and Olearia Haasti are among the most useful. 

Among the evergrey plants may be named Lavender, 
Rosemary, Pinks, Carnations, Mulleins, Alyssum, Laven- 
der Cotton, Stachys chrysaniha^ Achillea umbellatay 
Achillea moschata^ Silene maritima, Hieraceum villosum, 
H. gymnocephalusy Cistus (of sorts), Artemisia lanata, 
Agrostemma, Senecio leucophyllus, Teucrum aureum, Cerastium 
tomentosumy Arabis variegata, Gypsophilum repens, Festuca 
glauca, Sedum Turkestanicum^ Olearia ins ignis, Agrostemma 
coronaria, Onopordon ar obi cum. 



THE PLANTING OF FRUIT TREES 



Novices in fruit-growing are advised to write to the 
Royal Horticultural Society, Victoria Street, London, 
enclosing a penny stamp, in return for which they will 
receive a copy of an excellent little pamphlet entitled 
Fruits for Cottagers." Here we can but epitomise a 
few of the more important rules to be observed in the 
planting of fruit trees. The soil should be dug to a 
depth of at least two feet ; the bottom soil, however, 
should not be brought to the surface. A little garden 
soil, which has been well manured for a previous crop, 
may well be incorporated with the top six inches. No 
manure should be added at the time of planting. If 
the roots of the young plants are in any way torn or 
jagged, the torn portions should be cut off cleanly with 
a sharp knife. A hole should be ready to receive the 
tree of at least three feet in diameter, and of such a 
depth that the highest roots will be about three inches 
below the surface when the planting is finished. First 
spread out the lowest roots carefully, and scatter a little 
fine earth over them ; then spread out the roots next 
above these, and add more fine soil ; then those above 
these, and so on, giving a little shake now and then to 
let the soil run in between the fine roots. When all 
the roots are spread out and covered, give the tree a 
good shake, add a little more soil, and then tread it in 
firmly. Fill up the hole two or three inches above the 
level of the surrounding hole. Put a strong stake to 
the tree, and fasten the two together with a broad band 
in such a way as to make it impossible for the tree to be 
chafed when the wind blows. In the case of heavy soil 



56 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



the tree should be planted as near to the surface as 
possible, the roots being barely covered with soil. 

In planting strawberries the collar or neck of the plant 
must be only just below the ground. In this, as in all 
other cases, the roots must be carefully spread out, and 
not merely planted in a tangled mass. 

There is no question that fruit trees, to succeed to the 
greatest advantage, should be planted on arable land, and 
not in grass. Grass within two or three feet of the main 
stem of a fruit tree has a very retarding effect. Not only 
does it lead to increased evaporation, but the grass itself 
absorbs moisture and nourishment at the expense of the 
vigour of the young tree. It is a good plan to keep the 
soil round fruit trees not only free from grass and weeds, 
but also hoed into a light pulverised condition, so as to 
maintain the warmth of the ground and to hinder 
evaporation. 



THE PRUNING OF FRUIT TREES 

The pruning of fruit trees is important for several 
purposes. In the first place, by means of pruning fine 
and better fruit may be obtained, and a more even annual 
crop secured. Also the more regular development of 
fruit over the whole expanse of the tree may often be 
brought about, so that instead of producing fruit only 
at the top, as neglected plum trees often do, fruit 
branches may be made to develop throughout the full 
extent of the tree. Lastly, by means of pruning and 
training trees may be made to assume a form suitable 
to the space assigned to them, and thus the whole space 
of wall surface allotted to fruit trees may be profitably 
occupied. The tendency of nature, in the case of most 
fruit trees, is to produce a naked stem with a more or 
less crowded head. This, in horticultural practice, is 
rarely found to be the most advantageous form. Seeing 
that sap is drawn up by the leaves, it is necessary, in 
order to maintain an equal diffusion of sap throughout 
the whole of the branches of a trained tree, and to keep 
the wood of the latter, as it should be, perfectly 
symmetrical, to prune the strong branches short, whilst 
allowing the weaker ones to grow long. In other words, 
upon the more vigorous parts we must suppress the 
greater number of wood-buds, in order to deprive these 
parts of the leaves which these buds would have de- 
veloped. We must remember that the fewer shoots 
upon the branch the fewer will be the leaves, and the 

57 



58 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



smaller the proportion of sap drawn to that part. On 
the other hand, allow as large a quantity of fruit as 
possible to remain on the strong side, while suppressing 
all but a little on the weak side, because fruit draws 
to itself the sap from the root and absorbs it in its 
growth. Thus the production of fruit tends to hinder 
the development of the strong side, which is what is 
required in the production of an evenly balanced tree. 
So far we have been speaking of the principles involved 
in producing a tree of symmetrical form ; but the prin- 
cipal object of pruning is, undoubtedly, to induce the 
development of a maximum number of fruit buds. The 
first principle to bear in mind in pruning for this object 
is that the more the sap is retarded in its circulation the 
less wood and the more fruit-buds will be developed. 
It is wise to commence pruning fruit trees as soon as 
they are well in leaf. Take each branch issuing from 
the main stem and pinch off the point or end shoot of each 
branchlet which proceeds from it. The shoot at the 
end of the branch should, however, be left untouched. 
This pinching off should be practised as soon as the 
brachlet has five leaves developed on it, and should be 
done at such a point as to leave only three leaves on the 
branchlet. Every branch of the tree should be treated in 
the same manner, but the shoot at the end of the main 
axis of the tree should remain untouched. This pro- 
cess should be repeated through the summer as soon as 
any branchlet develops five leaves. At about the end 
of July the terminal shoots of each branch and of the 
leading stem are also to be pinched off. About the end 
of August the ends of all branches which have out- 
grown the average circumference of the tree should be 
cut back to an outside bud sufficiently to make the whole 
of the branches symmetrical, the lowest tier of branches 
being longest and the highest tier shortest. The central 
leading stem should at the same time be cut back to a 



THE PRUNING OF FRUIT TREES 59 



strong bud just above the point from which the highest 
branch proceeds. The effect of this system of pruning is 
to produce a tree consisting of a central main stem and of 
a series of tiers of branches proceeding from it, leaving 
no bare spaces from top to bottom. There will also be 
no crossing of boughs, no interlacing network of twigs, 
no hopeless tangle into which sun and air cannot pene- 
trate, and the sap will have been induced to produce 
numerous fruit spurs along all its branches. If this 
method of pruning be regularly practised there will be 
little to do in the way of autumn or winter branch 
pruning. The advice just given as to pruning applies 
generally to standard and bush trees of Apples, Pears, 
Plums, and Cherries. There are, however, a few excep- 
tions. In the case of the Apples known as Irish Peach 
and Beauty of Bath the terminal shoots of the main 
stem and the branches should be left untouched. The 
branchlets, however, should be treated as before advised. 
Once they have become established standard fruit trees 
require little pruning beyond keeping the centre of the 
tree open, and removing branches that cross each other. 
In all cases it should be remembered that the branches 
must be left so far apart that there is room for air and 
sunshine freely to pass throughout the tree. Peaches 
and Nectarines bear fruit principally on the young wood, 
and therefore summer pruning, as above described, would 
be altogether harmful in their case. The aims in pruning 
these trees, therefore, are to remove overlapping branches 
and to keep the proportion of new to old wood as great 
as possible. 

Black Currants bear principally on young wood, and 
therefore old wood which has already borne should be 
pruned away hard — a considerable portion of it every 
year. In this way a succession of fresh shoots may be 
kept up year after year. Gooseberries should be pruned 
principally with a view of keeping the bush open, so that 



6o BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



the fruit may be easily gathered, and that sun and air 
may reach all parts. Hard pruning means large Goose- 
berries. Gooseberry bushes should be dusted with lime 
in the autumn, while wet, and should not be pruned till 
early spring. Red and white Currants should be treated 
by summer pruning, as advised above for apples and pears. 
The aim is to prevent young wood from extending, and 
to develop the formation of fruit spurs along the main 
branches. 

Raspberry canes should be shortened to about six 
inches immediately after planting. The future pruning 
consists in cutting out the old canes, and cutting back 
the remaining fruiting canes to about two feet. 

A good deal of summer pruning may be done by the 
thumbnail, but, as a general rule, a sharp knife or 
secateur is required. There is no necessity for the 
pruning knife to have the curved handle usually associ- 
ated with this instrument. Of the two tools, the knife 
is, on the whole, to be preferred, as it makes a cleaner 
wound, and the amputation can therefore be made 
nearer to the bud. In shortening a branch, the pruning 
knife is placed exactly opposite to a bud, and the cut 
is made in an upward slanting direction so as to come 
out a little above the bud. 

Every two or three years, bush trees of Apples, Plums, 
Pears, and Cherries should be subjected to what is 
known as root-pruning. The object of this process is, 
by removing taproots, to check undue luxuriance of 
growth in the tree, and so, for the reasons already 
stated, to lead to the formation of fruit buds. The 
ordinary method of root pruning is as follows : — At a 
distance of two to three feet from the main stem dig 
a trench about two feet deep, and then lift the tree 
with its mass of fibrous roots spreading in all directions, 
being careful to avoid injuring them. All strong roots 
which are striking down into the subsoil should be 



THE PRUNING OF FRUIT TREES 6i 



carefully cut off with a sharp knife. Any of the 
surface fibrous roots which have been bruised or 
damaged should also be neatly cut, and before the tree 
is put back again, the soil should be thoroughly dug 
up and pulverised to a depth of at least two feet. 
Nothing keeps the roots near the surface so well as 
does a deep and well-cultivated soil. Nothing causes 
roots to descend so much as does a dry, hard soil. 



STRAWBERRIES 



Strawberries are of easy culture, and succeed with 
reasonable care on almost all kinds of soil. The land 
should be well and deeply dug, and heavily manured 
previous to planting. Heavy dressings of farmyard 
manure are especially important in the case of light 
soils. On light soils a dressing of marl is also of 
great value. The crop should not remain on the 
ground for more than three years, and of these, the 
first is practically unproductive. The runners or young 
plants should be purchased in August and planted ten 
inches apart. At the end of the first year, every other 
plant should be removed, and may be planted elsewhere. 
The ground should be kept well hoed on the surface 
and free from weeds. As soon as the flowers are 
developed, a mulching of strawy manure or plain straw 
should be placed between the rows or round the roots 
to preserve the fruit from dirt. After the fruit is 
gathered, the straw may be removed and the new 
runners should be cut off. If it is intended to raise 
new plants, get a number of small pots, fill them to 
the top with good loamy soil, and place these pots 
round the plants from which the runners are intended 
to be obtained. About the end of June the plantlets 
should be directed into the pots and pegged down with 
wooden pegs. They will soon take root, and may then 
be separated from the parent plant. Good varieties of 
strawberries are Black Prince, which is early ; British 
Queen, Doctor Hogg, and Latest of All, which are 
three kinds of excellent flavour; Royal Sovereign, 
which is a good cropper ; and Gunnersbury Alpine and 
St Joseph, which are perpetual varieties. 
62 



Copyright Kelway &■ Sons 

LONDON PKIDE 



FILBERTS AND COB-NUTS 



Filberts and Cob-Nuts thrive especially in soil which 
is known as stone-shattery " land — that is, land which 
consists of a mixture of loam and stone detritus. But 
good crops can be raised on most soils. In any case 
the ground should be trenched and well manured 
previous to planting. Dwarf trees with stems about 
two feet high are best for planting. From these central 
stems branches are trained to form a tree about eight 
feet in diameter and five feet in height. By pruning, 
the trees are kept well open and more or less basin- 
shaped. The trees bear two forms of flower, one, the 
male, in the form of cylindrical grey catkins bearing the 
pollen, the other, the female, in the form of a little 
reddish tuft at the summit of a large bud. The 
removal of either of these flowers is fatal to the crop. 
Their appearance should therefore be waited for, and 
pruning should then consist in cutting back the 
branchlets to just beyond the last catkin or female 
flower. 



63 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 

Peas 

Garden Peas are of easy culture and are among the 
most important vegetables grown now in gardens. 

There is no longer any excuse for growing the small 
whitish early Pea which used to be seen in gardens, but 
is now more often grown as a field crop. Only Peas 
possessing the true marrow flavour need be grown, 
and the quality of the two classes cannot for a moment 
be compared. 

A light soil is preferable, particularly when earliness is 
desired, and the soil should be moderately rich, although 
a very rich soil tends to produce too much leaf and too 
little fruit. 

The first sowing of Peas may be made in the open 
about the end of February providing the soil is not too 
wet or frost-bound. A warm situation should be chosen 
for this crop, preferably under a wall facing south. For 
this earliest crop any of the following varieties should be 
selected : — 

Chelsea Gem, Sutton Seedling, Carter's Early Morn. 

Where the soil is not very good it may be removed to 
a depth of two or three inches and replaced by old soil, 
from a hot-bed. In any event the soil should be deeply 
dug and moderately manured the previous autumn. 
The seed should be sown in drills about three inches 
from seed to seed. They should be staked immediately 
they appear above ground. A sowing of second early Peas 
should be made in April. For this sowing the ground 
64 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 65 



may be richer than in the case of the earliest crop. It is a 
good plan to have a liberal amount of well-decayed manure 
about five or six inches below the surface. Between the 
rows about three feet should be allowed, or in the case 
of the taller growing kinds, four or five feet. 

Among the varieties suitable for Second Earlies are : — 

Stratagem, Majestic, and Duke of Albany. 

About three weeks later main crop Peas are to be 
sown, good varieties being : — 

Eureka, Satisfaction, Best of All, and Autocrat. 

For the latest Peas of all, Ne Plus Ultra, Sutton's Late 
Queen, and Reading are perhaps the best varieties. 

It is not much good sowing seeds after the end of 
June. As soon as the seeds are sown it is wise to 
place pea guards or galvanised wire netting over them 
in order to protect them from birds. In dry weather it 
is most important to supply the growing crop with 
plenty of water, a good plan being to open a shallow 
trench about a foot distant from each row, and to pour 
water into this so as to fill the trench. The surface 
soil between the rows should not be allowed to become 
caked and hard, but should be kept friable by means of 
the hoe. 

Broad Beans 

Broad Beans do best in a deep, rather stiff soil, which 
should be well manured the previous autumn. The 
earliest crop may be sown in November, Mazagan being 
a good variety for this purpose. Giant Long Pods may 
be sown in February or March, and in the following 
month one of the Broad Windsor types should be 
planted. 

The seeds should be sown in single rows about nine 
inches from seed to seed. Beyond keeping the surface 
of the soil friable by the occasional use of the hoe, little 
in the way of subsequent cultivation is necessary. 

E 



66 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



French Beans 

The Dwarf Kidney Bean or French Bean may by good 
management be made to provide a supply of vegetables 
from June till October. They require a deep rich soil 
and plenty of moisture. An open situation is desirable. 

The first crop should be sown about the middle of 
April under a wall facing south. Later sowings should 
be made at intervals of a few weeks well into July. 
The earliest crops may require protecting from frost by 
means of boughs or mats. The seeds should be sown in 
drills at a distance of about four inches from seed to seed. 
The plant may require a little subsequent thinning 
so as to allow each plant room for proper development. 
For the earliest crop Ne Plus Ultra is a good variety, 
while for later crops Triumph, Perfection, and Canadian 
"Wonder are among the best kinds. It is a good plan 
to bury a liberal amount of manure about six inches 
below the surface of the ground, and during the summer 
to dig a shallow trench for v/atering purposes, as in the 
case of Peas. 

Runner Beans 

These are cultivated in much the same manner as Dwarf 
Beans, but at least six feet should be allowed between 
the rows. Climbing French Beans may be sown at 
intervals from the end of April onwards, and Scarlet 
Runners from the first week of May. Runner Beans 
do not bear cold. Of climbing French Beans, good 
kinds are Earliest of All, Ten Weeks and Tender and 
True. Good Scarlet Runners are Painted Lady, Chelsea 
Giant, Mammoth White and Best of All. All Runner 
Beans should be provided with tall poles up which to 
climb. 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 67 



Potatoes 

Potatoes like a deep loam of moderate friability which 
has been well manured before winter. For the earliest 
crop a south border should be chosen, preferably under 
a wall. Early in March a few tubers may be planted, 
drills being drawn with a hoe, mattock or light spade, 
about four or five inches deep and about two feet between 
the rows. The tubers should be planted at distances 
of about one foot, though much depends on the variety. 
The later varieties require more space than the early 
ones. For earliest crops Myatt's Ashleaf, Ninetyfold, 
and Sharp's Victor are all good. Midseason varieties 
should be planted about the middle of April, Windsor 
Castle, Sutton^s Supreme, and Schoolmaster being among 
the best. Late varieties should also be planted in April. 
Among the best of the late varieties are King of the 
Russets, Up to Date, Magnum Bonum and Bruce. 
When the plants are about three inches high the first 
earthing up should take place, and this should be 
continued at intervals of a fornight until the haulms 
have grown to a good height. The tubers should not 
be dug up until the tops are quite dead. They should 
then be dried by exposure to the sun for two or three 
days, and stored in a dry place. Examine them 
frequently in order that any diseased ones may be at 
once removed. Frost is fatal to potatoes, and it is 
therefore wise to give the young crop some slight 
protection until the middle of May by means of a little 
dry litter placed over them. 

Turnips 

With care Turnips may be had the year through. 
Small sowings and often should be the rule, although 
it is no use sowing after May until the early part of 



68 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



August. The earliest sowing should be made in a 
warm, sheltered situation, though not with full exposure 
to the sun. A little seed may be sown in February, 
Carter's Early Forcing being a good variety for this 
purpose. The ground should be kept covered at night 
by straw covers or dry litter. For second crops 
Snowball and White Gem are good, and these should 
be followed by Red Globe and Matchless. For early 
autumn Turnips, Red Top, Mousetail and Veitch's Red 
Globe are excellent, whilst for mid-winter. Orange Jelly, 
Golden Ball and Chirk Castle are very hardy. The 
soil for Turnips is preferably a light sandy loam, well 
enriched with manure, some months before the crop is 
to be sown. The soil should be as fine as possible 
before the seed is sown. Seed should be sown thinly, 
one ounce being sufficient for a drill of a hundred and 
fifty feet. It should be sown about one inch deep, and 
from six to twelve inches should, in the final thinning, 
be allowed from root to root. The drills should be 
about fifteen inches apart. It is necessary to keep the 
crop free from weeds, and water should be given in dry 
weather. Hoeing between the rows is very advantage- 
ous, and early thinning should be practised if good roots 
are to be obtained. Most growers are afraid to thin 
their Turnips sufficiently. They should bear in mind 
the Norfolk proverb, ''No man should hoe his own 
turnips." 

In order to preserve Turnips in winter the ground 
should be kept covered with leaves or litter directly 
frost sets in. It is a good plan to take up at any rate 
a portion of the crop at the commencement of winter 
and place them in a deep drill with their leaves only 
above ground. Turnips stored in this manner are far 
better than those which are packed up in a heap and 
allowed to ferment. 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 69 



Parsnips 

When properly grown the Parsnip is by no means the 
coarse, tough root which we so often see. They should 
be quickly grown, and only to such a size that they can 
be cooked whole. They Hke a deep, rich, friable soil. 
Seed should be sown early in May, in drills fifteen 
inches apart. One ounce is sufficient for a hundred feet. 
The seedlings should be early thinned, the final distance 
between plant and plant being from nine to twelve 
inches. Those roots intended for winter use should be 
left in the ground, but a little protection in the form of 
litter or straw mats should be given them. 

Carrots 

Carrots thrive best on a light soil, which has been 
manured for a previous crop. A small sowing should 
be made in a sheltered spot early in March, Scarlet 
Horn or Sutton's Gem being suitable for this purpose. 
A second sowing of the same varieties may be made 
in April, and a third sowing early in May. For the 
latter the Scarlet Intermediate is an excellent variety. 
It is a good plan to make a further small sowing in June 
of the early Nantes variety. These roots will come in 
early in the new year, when vegetables are scarce. An 
ounce of carrot seed is sufficient to sow eighty feet of 
drills. These drills should be about fifteen inches 
apart, and about six to eight inches should be allowed 
from plant to plant after the final thinning. Crude 
stable manure is not good for Carrots ; at the same time 
the soil must be rich, as the growth has to be made in 
a short time. The soil from a cucumber frame is 
excellent. 



70 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



Beetroot 

Beetroot does best in a deeply-dug friable soil which 
has been well manured for a previous crop. Any 
manure which is added at the time of sowing should be 
buried about nine to twelve inches below the drills. An 
ounce of seed will sow thirty feet of drill, and the 
drills should be about a foot apart, six to nine inches 
being allowed from plant to plant after thinning. About 
the end of April or the first week in May is the best 
time for sowing, and a small further sowing may be 
made in August. Cheltenham Greentop, Crimson Ball 
and Sutton's Globe are among the best varieties. At 
the beginning of December take up all roots that remain, 
and bury them in sand or ashes in alternate layers 
under cover, care being taken not to bruise or cut the 
roots. 

Jerusalem Artichokes 

This is probably the easiest of all vegetables to grow. 
It should not be grown in the same soil year after year, 
but should receive good culture and an annual change of 
land. It likes moderately rich soil, and plenty of space. 
The roots should be planted about six inches deep in 
rows four feet apart. February or March is the best 
time for planting. The roots should be left in the 
ground until required for use. Veitch's Improved is 
one of the best varieties. 

Chinese Artichokes 

The Chinese or Japanese Artichoke is as easily grown 
as the Jerusalem. It is a valuable winter vegetable, 
and is worthy of better cultivation than it generally 
receives. The soil should be well dug and moderately 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 71 



manured in autumn. The tubers should be planted in 
March in drills about six inches deep, eighteen inches 
being allowed between the rows, and six inches between 
the plants in the row. In the summer it is desirable to 
give abundance of water. In well-drained soil the tubers 
may remain in the ground all the winter till required. 
In the case of heavy soil they may be lifted in November, 
and stored in a cool shed, but the light must be absolutely 
excluded, and therefore it is desirable to cover the 
tubers with dry sand. 

Onions 

Onions can only be grown well in a rich and deeply- 
dug soil, which has been well manured the previous 
autumn. Just before sowing it is a good plan to fork 
in a liberal dressing of soot and wood-ashes, and it is 
desirable to scatter a good dressing of the same mixture 
broadcast over the bed two or three times during the 
period of growth. Seed should be sown thinly, about 
one ounce being sufficient for two hundred feet of drill. 
Early in March the seed of spring Onions should be 
sown in drills about a foot apart, the ground being 
rolled or trodden immediately after sowing. It is a 
good plan to cover the seeds — that is to say, to fill up the 
drills — with soil from an old cucumber bed. The young 
plants should be thinned out, as soon as they are large 
enough, to from six to nine inches apart. The ground 
between the rows should be kept ruffled with the hoe. 
By the end of August, when the growth will have 
been completed, any plants in which the foliage is still 
erect should be bent over. About the third week in 
September the Onions should be taken up and hung in 
string bags in a dry room. About the end of July a 
sowing may be made of such a variety as the White 
Leviathan. These will be valuable early in the following 



72 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



summer. Other varieties suitable for autumn sowing 
are White Queen and the small silver-skinned varieties. 
These should be left in the seed-bed till early in March, 
when they should be planted out in rows twelve to 
fifteen inches apart. 

Salsify 

Salsify needs much the same cultivation as Carrots. 
Seed should be sown in April in drills about a foot 
apart, the seedlings being ultimately thinned so as to 
allow about twelve inches from plant to plant. The 
ground between the rows should be kept hoed. 

Shallots 

Shallots like rich, well-dug soil, though they are of 
easy culture, and will often thrive where Onions fail. 
The roots should be planted in rows about twelve inches 
apart, six inches being allowed from bulb to bulb. 
They should be planted so that their top just shows 
above the level of the ground. March is the best time 
to plant, and the crop will be ready for gathering about 
the middle of August. They should be dried and 
stored after the manner of Onions. Sutton's Giant is 
perhaps the best variety. 

Garlic 

Garlic should be cultivated exactly as Shallots, and 
the produce should be dried and stored in the same way. 

Asparagus 

Deeply-dug and well-manured soil is essential for the 
production of good Asparagus. It may be raised from 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 73 



seed, or more quickly from two-year-old roots. If plants 
are to be raised from seed, drills an inch deep should be 
made about fifteen inches apart, and the seed sown 
thinly about the middle of April. The seedling plants 
should be thinned out to six inches apart as soon as 
possible. These roots will be transplanted into per- 
manent quarters the following spring. 

In preparing a permanent plantation a trench should 
be made four inches deep and eight inches wide ; into 
these the roots should be placed about two feet apart ; 
three feet should be allowed between the trenches. 
For the first year or so none of the shoots should be 
cut, but in the third season shoots may be cut as they 
appear in the spring, and cutting may be continued until 
the middle of June. At this period a liberal top-dressing 
of manure should be given, and no more shoots should 
be cut. 

Globe Artichokes 

The Globe Artichoke is cultivated for the sake of its 
flower heads, the fleshy base of which is cooked and 
eaten when mature. They do best in deeply dug land 
with which a heavy dressing of manure has been in- 
corporated. Fresh plants should be used every three 
years. The stock may easily be increased by root 
division in the spring. The suckers are taken from the 
plant when about eight to ten inches long, the stool 
of the old plant being carefully uncovered so as to 
enable the young growth to be taken away with a heel — 
that is, a small portion of the old plant attached. The 
suckers are planted in rows, three feet being allowed 
between the rows, and half that distance between the 
individual plants. The young plants are to be watered 
freely. At the approach of frost the old stalks should 
be removed, yellow leaves entirely cut away, and a top- 



74 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



dressing of dry litter placed over the roots and round 
the stem. The heads should be gathered just before 
the central scales begin to unfold and while the outer 
ones are still plump and fresh. In the autumn a good 
dressing of manure should be laid on the surface of the 
ground between the two rows. 

Celery 

Celery should be sown in March in gentle heat, and as 
soon as large enough to handle the young plants should 
be pricked out in boxes or small pots. When about 
two inches high they should again be transplanted, 
being kept in a cool glass-house or other fairly warm 
place until May or June. They should then be planted 
out in trenches as advised for Leeks, and in August 
should be earthed up in the same manner. The final 
earthing up should take place about the end of September, 
and about a month later the crop will be ready for 
gathering. If it is wished to keep the Celery through 
the winter it must be covered with litter or dry leaves 
during frost. It is impossible to give too much water 
during the summer months. 

Good varieties are Sandringham and Major Clarkes. 

Celeriac 

Celeriac or turnip-rooted Celery is much easier to grow 
than Celery, and is one of the most useful of winter 
vegetables. It is valuable for soups and as a boiled 
vegetable, having a flavour intermediate between that of 
Celery and Salsify. The seed may be sown in March 
in heat and the seedlings subsequently transplanted, 
though the easiest method is to prepare trenches about 
six or eight inches deep, half fill them with well-rotten 
manure, thoroughly mix this with soil, lay on it a layer 



Copyright Barr & Sons 

NIGELLA "miss JEKYLL " 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 75 



of two inches of fine soil from an old cucumber bed, 
and on this sow thinly a row of seeds about the middle 
of April. The seedlings should be thinned out to 
about a foot apart. Too much water cannot be given. 
About the middle of July the soil on either side should 
be earthed up round the plants, and in October the 
roots are ready for use. If covered with a little bracken 
or litter the roots may be left in the ground throughout 
the winter, and may be dug as required. 

Among the best varieties are the Giant Prague and 
the Erfurt. 

Leeks 

To have any value, Leeks must be well grown. Small 
weedy Leeks are not worth having, and in order to obtain 
the thick, succulent vegetables which alone are desirable, 
a deep rich soil and careful cultivation are required. 
Seed may be sown in a warm border or under glass in 
February. The plants should be well hardened by the 
end of April, when they should be planted out in trenches 
prepared by digging out soil a foot wide and a foot deep, 
and half filling the trench with well-decomposed manure, 
the whole being well mixed into the soil at the bottom 
of the trench by digging. Eighteen inches should be 
allowed between the drills and one foot from plant to 
plant. Water should be liberally given, and from August 
onwards the Leeks should be earthed up to blanch the 
lower part of the stem. Frost has no ill effect on the 
plants — indeed, it seems to improve the flavour. Among 
the best varieties are Musselburgh, Lyon, Holborn 
Model, and London Flag. 



Rhubarb 

Rhubarb requires a well-manured and deeply-dug soil. 



76 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 

but it is easily grown in any garden. It is increased by 
root division just before growth is active in the early 
spring. Each portion of root detached must have a 
crown or bud, and the roots should be placed below the 
surface, so that the crown is quite covered with soil. 
At least three feet must be allowed from plant to plant. 
No stems should be cut during the first season. Rhubarb 
is a plant which cannot be given too much water. The 
old way of forcing is the best. This consists in covering 
over the plants early in the year with pots surrounded by 
warm litters. Victoria, Sutton and Royal Albert are 
among the best varieties. 

Cardoons 

The cardoon is not so much grown in England as on the 
Continent, though it is a handsome and useful vegetable. 
It is the stalks of the plant that are eaten, and these 
need to be blanched like Celery. It requires plenty of 
room for development, and is therefore out of place in a 
very small garden. A rich, well- drained soil is required. 
Seed may be sown early in April, in a cold frame. It is 
better to sow in small pots, two or three seeds to a pot. 
As soon as the seedlings are well above the soil they 
should be thinned till only one, the finest, remains in 
each pot. Plenty of ventilation should be given, and the 
plants should be planted out in June. Trenches should 
be prepared, twelve inches in depth, and below this 
should be placed a layer of manure to a depth of a 
further six inches. On the manure should be laid two 
inches of soil, and on this should be planted the young 
Cardoons. Eighteen inches should be allowed from plant 
to plant, abundance of water should be given them, and 
about the middle of October the lower small yellow 
leaves should be cut away, the remaining branches 
should be secured in an upright position, and the lower 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 77 



part of the stalks be bound round with hay-bands. The 
Cardoon is available as a vegetable from October till 
March. 

Cucumbers 

Cucumbers are best grown in frames, though where a 
frame is not available useful ridge Cucumbers may be 
grown out of doors in warm positions. In growing 
Cucumbers out of doors one or more holes two feet deep 
and two feet square should be dug and nearly filled 
with half-rotten stable manure. On this should be 
placed about four inches of fine rich soil. In this soil 
about one inch deep five or six seeds should be sown in 
May, and until the plants appear the spot should be 
covered by an inverted box or tub. Only ridge varieties 
should be grown in this way. Frame Cucumbers should 
be sown about the middle of March in pots of fine 
soil placed on a hot-bed in a frame. As soon as the 
seedlings have four or six leaves they should be trans- 
planted to the soil on the hot-bed of itself. Two or 
three plants are ample for an ordinary frame. Careful 
ventilation during the day-time and generous watering 
through the summer months are the chief points in culti- 
vation. There are many good varieties, Sutton's 
Matchless and the Old Telegraph being as good as any. 

Vegetable Marrows 

Vegetable Marrows may be grown exactly in the 
way advised for ridge Cucumbers. Seed may be sown 
directly into the beds in May, but it is better to sow in 
heat a month earlier, and transplant at the end of May. 

Green Crops 

Cabbages, Broccoli, Cauliflowers and their kind require 
more than perhaps any other vegetable liberal treatment 



78 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



if the best results are to be obtained. It is true that 
Cabbages can be and are raised under almost every condi- 
tion, but to grow them well deeply worked and thoroughly 
enriched soil is necessary. 

Cabbages 

A full supply of Cabbage may be had from Jarluary 
to December if proper varieties are selected and the 
sowing be successional. They like best a rather heavy 
soil, but in any case the ground must be heavily dressed 
with manure a few months previous to planting. The 
seed should be sown in beds in an open spot. The ground 
should be thoroughly broken up and the surface levelled. 
The seed should be sown in drills one inch deep, the 
drills being about eight inches apart, and as soon as the 
young plants are above ground hoeing should be practised 
between the rows. The seed is commonly sown much too 
thickly, but it is most important to allow room for each 
seedling to develop. When they are about five or six 
weeks old the seedlings will be ready to plant out into 
their permanent quarters. In planting out the hole 
should be made for each plant by means of a round- 
pointed stick, eighteen inches being allowed from plant 
to plant, the rows themselves being about two feet apart. 
The ground should be thoroughly soaked with water 
immediately after planting, and during the first week 
abundant water should be given morning and evening. 
The surface of the ground between the rows should be 
kept ruffled by means of the hoe. For the earliest 
spring Cabbages, small sowings should be made from the 
middle of July till the end of August, Ellams and 
Dwarfs early spring being reliable and of good flavour. 
These early sown plants should be planted out about 
the end of September, the ground being made thoroughly 
firm after planting. For autumn supply the Rosette and 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 79 



Hardy Green Coleworts should be sown, a little every 
week throughout May and June. These give nice heads 
from September to December. The period between 
the spring and autumn supply may be occupied by such 
excellent summer Cabbages as Kelway's Placebo, Sutton's 
Favourite, and Matchless. These should be sown from 
April till the end of May. Winter Cabbages are par- 
ticularly useful. For use in mid-winter the St John's 
variety should be sown in June or the last week in 
May. Other varieties which will carry on the supply 
from Christmas till spring are the Christmas Drumhead 
and the St Martin. These should be sown at intervals 
from the middle of May till the end of June. Red 
Cabbages for pickling are cultivated in the same way as 
other Cabbages. They are best sown in March for 
pickling in the autumn. If quality rather than size is 
desired the Dwarf Blood-red is an excellent variety. 

Broccoli and Cauliflowers 

The soil for these crops should be prepared in the 
same way as advised for Cabbages in general. They 
are, of course, less hardy than the other members of the 
cabbage family. Still, with a little care one or the 
other of them may be had at most seasons of the year. 
Self-protecting autumn Broccoli and the early Cape 
Broccoli should be sown in April and early in May for 
a supply from September to Christmas. For a mid- 
winter crop, which, of course, is liable to be destroyed 
by severe frosts, the Penzance and the Sandringham 
Winter White are among the hardiest kinds. Spring 
Broccoli should provide a supply from March till June. 
For this purpose seed should be sown of Carter's 
Champion, Cuttell's Eclipse, and Late Queen should be 
during late May and early June. 

Cauliflower is even more tender than Broccoli. It 



8o BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



provides a supply during the summer and early autumn. 
The Walcheren and Early White London should be 
sown at the end of July or early in August, the plants 
being pricked out about four inches apart in cold frames. 
These plants should be set out early in April in their 
permanent quarters. They should be protected by a 
cloche or hand-glass at night time till all danger of frost 
is passed. To follow these such varieties as the Erfurt 
and Pearl may be sown in the open during March and 
April, and planted out during May and June. Autumn 
kinds, such as the Autumn Mammoth and Dwarf 
Mammoth should be sown early in April. Both Cauli- 
flowers and Broccoli should be liberally supplied with 
water during growth. 

Borecoles, or Kales 

The great usefulness of this vegetable consists in its 
hardiness, and in the fact that it furnishes a continuous 
supply of greens through the winter Sprouts may be 
cut from October to April, if seeds of suitable varieties 
be sown at intervals from March to May. For earliest 
cutting Dwarf Green Curled may be sown in March and 
the seedlings transplanted in May. For mid-winter 
Sutton Curled Scotch may be sown early in April and 
transplanted early in June. For later crops Cottagers' 
Kale may be sown in May and planted out in July. 
The seed-bed should be finely worked, but should not 
be too rich, but the ground for the permanent plantation 
can scarcely be too rich. Plenty of room must be 
allowed : between the rows there should be not less than 
two feet six, and the plants should be not less than two 
feet six in the rows. 

Savoys 

Savoys are generally valued not only on account of 




Copyj'iiiht 



GVFSOl'HILA PILEGANS 



Barr ilr Sons 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 8i 



their delicate flavour, but also on account of their 
furnishing a useful dish in the winter when vegetables 
are scarce. The seed should be sown early in the 
spring, and the seedlings planted out during June and 
July. Good varieties are the Green Curled and Tom 
Thumb. By sowing such a kind as the Bijou in May 
Savoys may be obtained well on in the New Year. 

Brussels Sprouts 

This is one of the most useful forms of greens, and 
one of the easiest to grow ; it should, however, not be 
grown in very heavy soil, unless it has been liberally 
dressed with lime or burnt earth. The seed should be 
sown in March on a warm border or in February under 
glass. As soon as the fourth leaf shows, the seedlings 
should be transplanted to their permanent quarters. 
This should not be later than April. In this way the 
seedlings get a good root hold before the heat and 
drought of summer. Two good varieties are the Sutton 
Matchless and the Dwarf Gem. 

Spinach 

This vegetable deserves to be more generally grown, 
as it is of easy culture and rapid growth. The soil 
should be deeply cultivated and tending towards heavi- 
ness. Ground sloping towards the south is not desirable. 
The seed should be sown in small successive batches. 
Sowings may be made every three weeks from February 
till May, the early sowings being made on a south 
border, the later ones on a border facing north. The 
ground should be rich, as quickness in growth is essential. 
The seed should be sown thinly and the young plants 
should be thinned out to six inches apart as soon as 
possible. The rows should be one foot apart. Two 
good varieties are the Carter and the Prickly Flanders. 



82 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



Sorrel 

Although Sorrel grows with ease, however neglected, 
it is well worthy of careful culture. It is best multiplied 
by division, as seedlings tend to revert to the wild type. 
The plants should be divided just before growth com- 
mences in the early spring. Two feet should be allowed 
from plant to plant, and it is a good plan to keep two 
or three small beds going, and every year to plant a 
new one and destroy the roots of the others. If raised 
from seed Sorrel should be sown early in spring, say 
about the second week in March. It should be sown 
in drills about two feet apart. The plant should be 
ultimately thinned so that there is at least eighteen 
inches between the plants in the rows. Seed sown in 
March will yield leaves fit for cutting about the middle 
of May. The large leaves should be picked first, thus 
allowing the smaller ones to grow. 

Horseradish 

Horseradish is of very easy culture, and for this 
reason is very badly cultivated. As it will grow any- 
where, it is allowed to grow wild in any out-of-the-way 
corner. Still there is no comparison between roots 
thus grown and those cultivated in a proper manner. 
A trench about eighteen inches deep should be taken 
out, and a good layer of manure placed at the bottom. 
An inch or two of soil should be placed on this and 
crowns of horseradish planted nine inches apart thereon. 
All small fibrous roots should be cut off before planting, 
and the trench should be filled in with light soil, the 
lower six inches being moderately rich, the top six being 
as poor and light as possible. In two years good sticks 
will be ready for digging. 



THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 83 



Radishes 

Radishes require a soil which is deeply cultivated and 
rich without being rank. A soil which has been heavily 
manured for a previous crop is therefore desirable, and 
it is always advantageous to add a little lime to the soil. 
The great thing is to sow thinly, and, further, to set out 
the young seedlings as soon as they appear. The seed 
should be sown at intervals of a week or two from 
February to May. In dry weather water should be 
given. 

Lettuces 

Lettuces should be sown in light, moderately rich soil 
at intervals of a fortnight from the middle of March to 
the beginning of August. As soon as they are able to 
be handled a vigorous thinning should be practised, 
the young plants removed being transplanted into rich, 
finely cultivated beds, a distance of about nine inches 
being allowed from plant to plant, and too much water 
cannot be given during the summer months. 

Parsley 

Parsley is easily grown on light soils, but it is useless 
to attempt its cultivation in heavy ground unless plenty 
of sand or lime is mixed with the soil. Small sowings 
should be made in March, May and July, and as soon as 
the seedlings have four or five leaves they should be 
thinned out to six inches apart. 

Mint 

Mint can be grown in any rich, moist soil, it will not 
thrive where the soil is dry and poor. All that is neces- 



84 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



sary is to plant the roots about three inches deep and 
three inches apart in rows, about nine inches being allowed 
between the rows. Mint should be given plenty of 
water through the summer. 

Sage 

Sage will grow in almost any soil, but it prefers a 
deeply-dug, well-manured, somewhat dry soil, and a 
sunny situation. Seeds may be sown in April, the 
seedlings being transplanted as soon as large enough to 
handle and planted into their permanent quarters in the 
autumn, or cuttings may be taken in the spring and 
planted in rows a foot apart, a foot also being allowed 
from cutting to cutting. 

Thyme 

Thyme will not grow in a heavy soil, it likes a light, 
well-drained soil and sunny position. Seeds may be 
sown in April or old plants may be divided up in the 
same month ; in any case a foot should be allowed from 
plant to plant. 



A FEW USEFUL RECIPES 



Weeds on Paths 

If a path is well made, having a good stone foundation, 
and the crevices filled with cinders, coal ashes, and such 
material, weeds will rarely give much trouble. When 
they have appeared, however, they may be got rid of by 
the application of either of the following liquids : — 

1. One pound of salt dissolved in one gallon of water. 
This liquid is to be applied as hot as possible by means 
of a watering pot. 

2. Place a pound of powdered arsenic in three gallons 
of cold water, boil, and keep stirring ; then add seven 
gallons of cold water and two pounds of crushed soda. 

3. One ounce of carbolic acid in a gallon of water. 

To PREVENT Nails and other Iron-work from 

Rusting 

Mix together two ounces of black lead and a pint of 
linseed oil. Heat the nails to red heat and dip them in 
the mixture. 

To GET RID OF AnTS 

One of the simplest ways of destroying ants is by 
watering the path or other part infested by them with 
carbolic acid and water mixed in the proportion of one 
ounce to a quart. Care should be taken that this liquid 
does not come into contact with the roots of living 
plants or they will certainly be destroyed. If the ants 
have formed their nests at the root of a plant they may 

85 



86 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



be destroyed by pouring on them a quart of warm water 
in which a piece of camphor the size of a filbert has been 
steeped. 

To DESTROY Greenfly 

The plants in a green-house or room which have 
become infested with green-fly are best treated by means 
of tobacco juice or smoke. The plants should be quite 
dry, and should be placed close together. In an iron pan 
should be placed a few red-hot cinders, upon these 
should be placed some tobacco, and the plants left in 
contact with the fumes for an hour or more. Instead of 
the smoke a liquid may be prepared by steeping four 
ounces of shag tobacco in a gallon of hot water, to which 
a little size has been added. The plants or shoots 
affected should be dipped in this liquid, or, if this is 
impracticable, the liquid may be syringed over the 
affected parts. 

Snails and Slugs 

The best way of getting rid of snails and slugs is to 
look for them an hour or two after dark with the aid of 
a lantern, and crush with the foot when found. During 
dry weather crops may be protected by dusting the 
surface of the ground with soot or lime, but these are 
quite useless directly they become at all damp. 

Worms on Lawns 

Worms on lawns are most easily dealt with by sweeping 
the lawn with a rough broom and then strewing the 
surface with an equal mixture of salt and soot, at the 
rate of fifteen bushels to the acre. An acre contains 
4840 square yards. 



INDEX 



Annuals, 30. 
Alpine Gardens, 47. 
Ants, To get rid of, 85. 
Artichokes, Chinese, 70. 

Globe, 73. 

Jerusalem, 70. 

Asparagus, 72. 

Beans, Broad, 65. 

French, 66. 

Runner, 66. 

Beautiful Winter Plants, 51. 
Beetroot, 70. 
Borecoles or Kales, 80. 
Broccoli and Cauliflowers, 79. 
Brussels Sprouts, 81. 
Bulbs and Corms, 10. 

Cabbages, 78. 
Cardoons, 76. 
Carrots, 69. 
Cauliflowers, 79. 
Celeriac, 74. 
Celery, 74. 
Cob-nuts, 63. 
Corms, 10. 
Crowns, 12. 
Cucumbers, 77. 
Cuttings, 14. 

Filberts, 63. 

Fruit-Trees, The planting of, 55. 
The pruning of, 57. 

Garlic, 72. 

Globe Artichokes, 73. 

Green Crops, 77. 

Green Fly, to destroy. S6. 



Hardy Perennials, 22. 
Horseradish, 82. 
Hot-bed, To make a, 20. 

Jerusalem Artichokes, 70. 

Kales, 80. 

Lawn, To make a, 45. 
Layers, 12. 
Leeks, 75. 
Lettuces, 83. 

Marrows, Vegetable, 77. 
Mint, 83. 

Nature of Soil, The, 4. 

Offsets, 12. 
Onions, 71. 

P.\ksley, 83. 

Paths, Weeds on, 85. 

Peas, 64. 

Perennials, Hardy, 22. 
Planting of Fruit Trees, 55. 
Potatoes, 67. 
Potting, 16. 

Pruning of Fruit Trees, 57. 

Radishes, 83. 
Rhubarb, 75. 

Rock or Alpine Gardens, 47. 
Roses, 35. 

Rust, To prevent, 85, 

Sage, 84. 
Salsify, 72. 
Savoys, 80. 

87 



88 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



Shallots, 72. 

Small Town Gardens, 42. 
Snails and Slugs, 86. 
Sorrel, 82. 
Sowing Seeds, 7. 
Spinach, 81. 
Strawberries, 62. 

Thyme, 84. 



Trenching, 18.^ 
Tubers, 1 1. 
Turnips, 67, 

Vegetable Marrows. 77. 

Weeds on Paths, 85. 
Worms on Lawns, 86. 



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